About 2,000 people paid their respects to former Premier Jacques Parizeau on Sunday as he lay in state in the Red Room of the National Assembly.
Police officers, led by his widow Lisette Lapointe, carried the fleur-de-lis draped coffin into the hall for the second day of public visitations.
In the line of citizens, retired policeman and Parizeau's former bodyguard, Victor Landry, waited patiently for his turn to enter the building.
"He was a role model for me, an accomplice," said Landry, who worked on Parizeau's security detail from 1988 to 1998. "He always told us, 'I do politics, you do your work, I have total confidence in you.' He never made any comments on our way of work."
Others in attendance included CAQ leader Francois Legault.
Thousands more lined in Montreal on Saturday for the visitation at the Caisse de Depot headquarters, which will soon be renamed in Parizeau's honour.
"He did all what he could to improve the economy of the province, and he was a great nationalist too. He was working for the real people," said one mourner.
Parti Quebcois leader Pierre Karl Peladeau was at both visitations, and was visibly upset.
"He fully dedicated his life for his country. And just this complete dedication is a great example of what we should and can do for Quebec," said Peladeau.
Premier Philippe Couillard and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre did not share Parizeau's ideology, but on Saturday only had respectful words for the separatist leader.
"Of course I was not in favour of what he said at the referendum in 1995 but you have to look at the overall contribution of the man. It's not just the matter of a sentence," said Coderre.
Among those contributions was the nationalization of Hydro Quebec, the creation of the Caisse de Depot and the creation of the welfare state.
"I think instinctively people from all political stripes know what we owe Jacques Parizeau . This is an example," said Couillard.
Parizeau's state funeral will begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Saint Germain church in Outremont, and will necessitate several street closures for most of the day.
An official registry for condolences is available online here.
Parizeau had been in poor health for some time and underwent vascular surgery earlier this year.
He died Monday night at the age of 84.
