Pierre Trudeau dreamed of a society that afforded all of its citizens an equal opportunity to succeed in life; whatever their background or beliefs, whether rich or poor. He believed that what we had in common was the source of our strength, and that what set us apart enriched all of us. On the international stage, he gave us a profile and stature well beyond our size and power. Wherever we were in the world, he made us feel proud to be Canadians; proud to have the immense privilege of being part of this beautiful and great country. An excerpt from Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's tribute speech at the late Pierre Trudeau's State Funeral on October 3, 2000. (Internet 12).
Pierre Trudeau, the twentieth Prime Minister in Canadian history, has had a significant impact on the recently retired Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien. However, this is not surprising seeing that they worked side by side with each other for nearly sixteen years (1968-1984) while Trudeau was Prime Minister. During their time together, Trudeau and Chrétien clocked countless political kilometers together, helping shape Canada in ways both positive and negative, into what it is today. It is even said that if Trudeau was the master architect of the modern vision of Canada, Chrétien was his most eager apprentice (Internet 3). United, most of the time, in their beliefs, they helped Canada reach some of their most significant milestones in the 1970's and 1980's. Together, they changed Canada in ways people thought could never happen. Many of what some consider Trudeau's greatest achievements were aided by Chrétien's tenacity and hard work. From the repatriation of the Constitution and the drafting of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1981) to both Québec Referendums (1980, 1995), Chrétien was behind the scenes. Chrétien faced many obstacles over his years as Prime Minister, some which were eerily similar to the ones Trudeau faced during his term in office.
