Karl Tremblay will be entitled to a major national honors ceremony, Prime Minister François Legault confirmed. The Cowboys Fringants singer, whose death touched the whole of Quebec, will be celebrated in a place where he delighted thousands of Quebecers several times over the last 20 years: the Bell Centre.
These are therefore not “national funerals” but “a national honor ceremony” that will be reserved for the singer “in accordance with the wishes expressed by the family of Mr. Karl Tremblay,” the government said in a statement.
This ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 28th at 7:30 p.m. at the Bell Center. Starting this Thursday at 10 a.m., a limited number of free tickets will be available to the general public on the Ticketmaster website. There is a limit of four tickets per transaction for this event.
Although it was not possible to obtain further information about this ceremony from those close to the Cowboys, we can read on Evenko that the event will include the screening of the film “America is Crying” on a big screen. There will also be some songs accompanied by OSM musicians. The Cowboys’ lyricist and guitarist and great friend of Karl Tremblay, Jean-François Pauzé, will also speak.
- Listen to the culture section with Anaïs Guertin-Lacroix via QUB radio :
Same status
After the singer’s death last week, François Legault publicly expressed his desire to hold a national funeral if the family agreed.
On Wednesday, Mr. Legault’s office clarified that the chosen formula, a “national honors ceremony,” had “the same status” as a national funeral.
“It is simply the family’s decision not to hold a religious ceremony,” said the prime minister’s press secretary Ewan Sauves, adding that the same type of tribute had been organized to honor Lise Payette after his death.
1/2 By agreement of the family, Karl Tremblay is entitled to a state funeral in the form of a national honors ceremony next Tuesday at the Bell Center.
— François Legault (@francoislegault) November 22, 2023
“It concerns all of us”
For the Minister of French Language, Jean-François Roberge, this initiative is an “excellent thing”.
“The death of Karl Tremblay, the music of the Cowboys, it affects us all. I think this is a very good idea,” he said after leaving the Council of Ministers.
“It’s a great idea for the family,” argued Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe, who finds it “interesting” to make such a tribute. “It’s a death that has affected so many Quebecers,” he said.
At the time of writing, we have no confirmation as to whether a funeral will take place at another time.
“A big shock throughout Quebec”
François Legault also announced the publication of a register of condolences online. Anyone who would like to express their condolences to the family of Karl Tremblay can do so at www.Québec.ca/condoléances.
“The death of Karl Tremblay caused great shock throughout Quebec,” François Legault said in a press release. We have lost a great artist, especially a great Quebecer, whose voice shaped our nation and an entire generation of Quebecers. […] In agreement with his partner Marie-Annick and all his loved ones, the nation of Quebec will pay a national tribute to this artist so beloved by Quebecers and the immense legacy he leaves in our culture.
Attached to the Bell Center
The Bell Center’s choice to host this ceremony is not insignificant. The Cowboys Fringants have played there no less than nine times in their career. Their last ever visit to the Canadiens amphitheater was on January 6th.
On December 30, 2003, the Repentigny group entered this impressive arena for the first time. The legendary event was also immortalized on DVD.
Karl Tremblay, a huge Habs fan, received a touching tribute at the Bell Center on November 16 before the game between the Canadiens and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The song “LesStars Filantes” was played while a blue, white and red jersey with the number 76, that of Karl Tremblay, was displayed in the middle of the ice.
– In collaboration with Gabriel Côté
National ceremonies since 2000
2000: Maurice Richard
2002: Louis Laberge
2002: Jean Paul Riopelle
2004: Claude Ryan
2009: Gilles Carle
2010: Claude Béchard
2014: Jean Béliveau
2015: Jacques Parizeau
2016: René Angelil
2016: Claire Casgrain
2018: Paul Gerin-Lajoie
2018: Lise Payette
2018: Bernard Landry
2022: Guy Lafleur