Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has passed away yesterday at age 84. He was Prime Minister from 1984 until1993 and during that time frame negotiated the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. Later, he negotiated the expanded North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico.

Although the Charlottetown Accord failed, he was known for working to build bridges between French and English Canada. The Charlottetown Accord of 1992 was an unsuccessful effort by then Prime Minister Mulroney and all 10 provincial premiers to amend the Canadian Constitution. The goal was to obtain Quebec’s consent to the Constitution Act, 1982.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed out, he was at the forefront of environmental issues, helping secure an air quality agreement with the United States to reduce acid rain, championing the first Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and creating several new national parks. Trudeau also described Brian Mulroney as exemplifying Canadian values, standing up against apartheid in South Africa. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thanked Mulroney for his “candid advice and generous mentorship.” And N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh praised Mulroney’s contributions to the environment, including “leading the world in tackling acid rain.”