Allan J. MacEachen walked and worked with prime ministers, but on Tuesday hundreds who knew him better as a man from home filled a small church in Inveress, N.S., for his funeral.
The former minister and senator died last week at age 96.
“It's a sad day,” says resident Pauline MacDonald, “but we’re also very proud that he was one of us.”
MacEachen was the son of a coal miner and didn’t come from a wealthy family, but he sure did make a name for himself. He was first elected in 1953 as part of Louis St. Laurent's government. In 1972, he was Pierre Elliot Trudeau's right-hand man, serving as a cabinet minister.
His biggest highlight, though, came in 1977, when MacEachen was named Canada's first-ever deputy prime minister.
Back home in Inverness, he was remembered Tuesday as a man of the people, never forgetting where he came from and leaving a lasting legacy.
“The healthcare he put into effect and the supplementary pension, that was a big thing for the people who were poor around here,” says MacEachen’s friend, John MacIaac.
Friends and colleagues filled the pews to capacity, with many not only remembering MacEachen as a prominent politician, but also a friend and family man.
“You could go into the coop grocery store and he would be there and he would be talking to everybody,” says resident Jackie Forman. “If he didn't know somebody, he would try and find out who they were. He loved people.”
“Very lovely person,” says MacEachen’s friend, Eleanor McDaniel. “Always so happy to see you, just ‘come in, enjoy yourself, have some good whiskey.’”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
