Appeared on the Dec. 21 issue of The Hill Times
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Senator Bosa died in class |
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He left in style, his style: silently, with class, and no speeches. The life of Ontario Liberal Senator Peter Bosa, like his death, didn't belong to tabloids. Peter Bosa, who represented York-Caboto, Ont., since 1977, was not, by choice, a person who wanted to make news; indeed he believed in contributing to make changes. And he wanted to do it slowly, gently, without people even noticing it in order not to "hurt people's feelings." For this reason at his funeral last week in Toronto there were neither glitzy cameras searching for personalities, nor personalities looking for cameras. There were only his friends, a lot of them, even though they were less than there was supposed to be and more than he would have preferred to see there. Most likely it will be history to remember in order to make justice of the silent contribution that this individual made to Canada. He fought for equality within his community, his party, his country. But the verb "fight" was not appropriate when someone described the work of Peter Bosa. "Fight" implies confrontation and Peter did not believe in confrontation. "People act differently," he used to tell me, "not because they are bad, but because they believe in different things. If we talk to each other, we can find a common ground." Born in Friuli, Italy on May 2, 1927, Sen. Bosa came to Canada in 1948. Educated at the University of Toronto, he later married Teresa Patullo in 1968. The couple had two children, Angela and Mark. For Peter Bosa there were no right and wrong arguments, but only "different opinions" and "opinions," he would say "must be respected." Many, at times, including myself, misunderstood this approach as a sign of weakness. They were wrong. His strength and his conviction were standing toll against phenomena like racism and injustice. "His contribution to multiculturalism in this country was immense," former prime minister John Turner told The Hill Times last week. "He will be missed by all of us." Over 1,000 people were on hand last Tuesday for the farewell to one of the most dedicated, hard working senators of the Canadian Parliament. The ceremony, officiated by Father John Borean, a family friend, was the celebration of values like humility, discretion, hard work, commitment to the family and the country. Sen. Bosa died last week after a long struggle with stomach cancer. He was 71. He was appointed to the Senate on April 5, 1977 by the then prime minister Pierre Trudeau. He had served this institution with distinction attending to most of its sittings: "He was absent," his wife Teresa told The Hill Times, "only when away from Ottawa for political business or because he was sick. He never missed a day." His struggle with the disease was long and brutal, but he coped with it with dignity and silently, just as he did with his political contribution to this society, and just as he did with his financial support to many ministers and MPs over the years. Many were there last Tuesday, but others were absent because -- I'm sure Peter would have interjected -- they were busy with government duties. I respect his will and I will not respond that it is also a government duty to honor one of theirs in an appropriate way. To honour a person that loved this country. "Canada," Sen. Bosa told me some time ago, "is a special country." He considered himself living proof as the son of an immigrant who became a senator. Peter Bosa would have never accepted that he was the special as well |
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