The death of the famous Quebec astrophysicist and science popularizer Hubert Reeves sparked numerous tributes from political figures and demonstrated how much he had shaped the collective universe.
“Quebec loses today an outstanding popularizer, a renowned astrophysicist,” Prime Minister François Legault began in a tweet.
Quebec today loses an outstanding popularizer, a renowned astrophysicist. Hubert Reeves knew how to find the words to make us understand humanity and infinity. He leaves today the way he came, in stardust. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
— François Legault (@francoislegault) October 13, 2023
“Hubert Reeves knew how to find the words to make us understand humanity and infinity. He leaves today as he came, in stardust,” he said, expressing his condolences to the scientist’s family.
For his part, the interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party also paid tribute to a “great scientist, a great Quebecer.”
“With passion and commitment to various causes, he left his mark on Quebec, the scientific community and many of us,” wrote Marc Tanguay on X (formerly Twitter).
“He will have been a beacon for humanity. He will remain a star in the firmament of the great of this world, a wise man and a great Quebecer,” said the PQ MP for the Magdalen Islands, Joël Arseneau.
Its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, said he was saddened to learn of the scientist’s death. “Quebec today loses an astrophysicist who has enormously advanced humankind’s scientific knowledge,” he stressed.
For his part, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois expressed his condolences to Mr. Reeves’ family, but also to “those who discovered the stars through the lens of a great Quebecer.”
“Hubert Reeves is making his final journey into the boundaries of the cosmos,” announced the parliamentary leader and co-spokesman of Québec Solidaire.
As evidence of his international influence, the French have also expressed their condolences. This is particularly true for the politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
“Hubert Reeves is gone. Everything else seems strange to me afterwards. A mind that focuses on the best in humanity recognizes the ugliness of the crude people who surround us and claim to rule our lives,” he said.