A national tribute ceremony will be organized next Tuesday for Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay, who died last week. Prime Minister François Legault’s office announced Wednesday that the event would be held at the Bell Center in Montreal.
Starting Thursday at 10 a.m., a limited number of passes will be available to the general public.
The Quebec flag, which flies atop the central tower of the Parliament building, will also be flown at half-mast from dawn to dusk.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, this national honoring ceremony is equivalent to a national funeral, but without the religious dimension.
In a press release, Mr. Legault emphasized that the death of Karl Tremblay sent a huge shock wave throughout Quebec. “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.” »
At the end of the Council of Ministers, Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe reiterated that the singer’s family had opted for a secular ceremony instead of a religious funeral. “We talk about ceremonies, but they have the same meaning. And then I also find it interesting that it takes place in the Bell Center, so the public can also be there. »
Mr Lacombe hopes the event will provide comfort in an environment where bad news seems to be piling up. “The news is not easy at the moment,” he said. I think it’s not always easy for Quebecers to experience this together and then make something beautiful out of it…”