Several hundred people gathered at the Espace culturelle de Repentigny around 2 p.m. on Saturday to pay their respects in memory of the late Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay.
The mayors of Repentigny and L’Assomption as well as members of parliament took part in this honor. A minute’s silence was observed and speeches were also made.
The mayor of L’Assomption, Sébastien Nadeau, who was a business partner of the musician, stated that he counted him among his friends.
After the official part of this ceremony, people stayed and started dancing and choreographing the song America Is Crying.
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Some of those present had already met Karl Tremblay or even knew him personally.
We saw him at the grocery store, in parks, at the arena, etc., recalled one person who met Radio-Canada there. “We feel like we’ve lost a friend,” another person added.
They gave birth to us
The mayor of Repentigny, Nicolas Dufour, did not fail to highlight the great influence of Karl Tremblay on his community. They gave birth to us. We have never talked so much about Repentigny in the French-speaking world.
“It used to be Karl who put Repentigny in the spotlight, but now it is our turn to recognize his great contribution,” he continued.
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To honor the artist, people laid flowers in front of an installation commemorating the Cowboys Fringants’ ties to the town of Repentigny.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Étienne Perreault
Karl Tremblay, who comes from Repentigny, has repeatedly recalled his hometown in his works. The group’s third album is titled Motel Capri in honor of the establishment of the same name in that city.
The community of 85,000 is already home to several permanent installations commemorating the legacy of the Cowboys Fringants, but the mayor revealed that the city is considering naming a site in honor of the artist, particularly because of his commitment to fighting environmental protection and promoting Quebec culture.
The singer died of prostate cancer on November 15 at the age of 47.