"The great gentleman of Acadia has left us"

Thousands of mourners gathered outside a tiny Catholic church just south of Moncton to pay their final respects to former Governor General Romeo LeBlanc. Among the mourners: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and current Governor General Michaelle Jean, as well as his son, Dominic LeBlanc. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, LeBlanc mused that, although he thought he knew his father well, he had learned "many things about him" since his passing earlier this week. "I heard wonderful stories from wonderful people and it meant a great deal to my family. It made us realize that it wasn’t only his family that appreciated my father, but many people as well." In a eulogy, former Prime Minister Jean Chretien referred to LeBlanc as "the great gentleman of Acadia," and noted that he had "never met anyone who did not like him." Reverend Arthur Bourgeois praised LeBlanc’s legacy as a teacher, journalist and politician. "He fulfilled all these functions with simplicity, devotion, humility and dignity."

CBCMaclean’sThe Globe and Mail