By agreement of the family of the Cowboys Fringants singer, Quebecers can celebrate a service at the Bell Center in Montreal on Tuesday, November 28, starting at 7 p.m.
This ceremony has the same protocol content as a national funeral, but avoids the religious aspect of the funeral.
At the request of Prime Minister François Legault, “the Quebec flag will be flown at half-mast on the central tower of the Parliament building from morning to evening,” said a press release.
Mr. Legault said the death of Karl Tremblay “caused a great shock throughout Quebec.”
“Karl left us so early, so young. “Since last Wednesday we have felt an immense outpouring of love and sadness,” he said.
“I invite all Quebecers to show their love and admiration for this man who will never be forgotten.”
– Excerpt from a press release from Prime Minister François Legault
Starting this Thursday at 10 a.m., a limited number of passes to attend the national honors ceremony will be offered to the general public through the Ticketmaster platform.
A condolence register is also available for Quebecers who would like to pay tribute to the late singer’s family.
SEE ALSO | Karl Tremblay: The Canadian pays a touching tribute to the singer of the Cowboys Fringants
Karl Tremblay left us on Wednesday November 15th at age 47 after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer.
The Cowboys Fringants singer was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2020 and announced his illness in July 2022.
“It is with indescribable sadness that we announce Karl’s departure. […] We would like to thank everyone who has shown us their love over the past few years. Your support has sustained us,” the group wrote in a post on their Instagram page.
Since their inception in the 1990s, Karl Tremblay and the Cowboys have received dozens of awards, honors and honors, including 18 Félix Awards at the ADISQ Gala, including three for Group of the Year. The singer’s voice has echoed in some of the greatest hits in the history of Quebec music: Toune d’Automne, En berne, Mon chum Rémi, LesStars Filantes, 8secs and L’Amérique Pleurt, a song featured on the 2019 album Les antipodes can be found and which earned the group numerous awards.
More than just a popular music singer, Karl Tremblay stood out for his dedicated writing career, marked by the sale of more than 1.3 million Cowboys-Fringants albums throughout the French-speaking world the official biography of the Repentigny group. In this Lanaudière town in the suburbs of Montreal, Karl Tremblay and Jean-François Pauzé founded the group along with Marie-Annick Lépine – Karl’s partner –, Jérôme Dupras and Dominique Lebeau.
A rare homage
Prime Minister Legault planned to offer Karl Tremblay a national funeral with the consent of his family. The question quickly made the rounds after the artist’s death.
It is up to the singer’s family and loved ones to accept such an offer, as stated on the government’s official website.
There are different types of state burials. State funerals are generally more formal and reserved for, for example, former prime ministers. Due to a government decision, national funerals are reserved for personalities.
State or national funerals are a rare honor.
Here is the list of Quebecers who were entitled to this type of funeral in Quebec:
1959: Maurice Duplessis
1967: Lionel Groulx
1968: Daniel Johnson Sr.
1970: Pierre Laporte
1973: Jean Jacques Bertrand
1980: Jean Lesage
1987: René Lévesque
1993: Gérard D. Levesque
1996: Robert Bourassa
1996: Gaston Miron
1999: Camille Laurin
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
With information from Guillaume Théroux for Noovo Info and The Canadian Press.