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Two New Brunswick politicians enabled Acadians to participate in Canadian society as equal citizens. Premier Louis J. Robichaud initiated a revolution in governance at the provincial level. At the federal level, Romeo LeBlanc had a comparable impact though his advice to prime ministers and his role as MP, minister, senator and governor general.

On Friday, the nation recognized Mr. LeBlanc's place in Canadian history with a state funeral. It was a moving reminder of the great contribution he made to society.

In the three decades following the October Crisis in Quebec, Mr. LeBlanc helped define what Canada would become: not the "two solitudes" of the past, but a welcoming and diverse nation of two official languages.

His appointment as governor general coincided with the most profound debate on federal unity and Canadian identity in a generation. His elevation to the post was more than strategic; it was providential. By his words, his demeanor and his actions, Romeo LeBlanc expressed the essence of what it means to be Canadian.

Mr. LeBlanc has been praised as an exceptional teacher, a great communicator and a very capable politician. In her commemorative remarks, historian Naomi Griffiths expressed what made this humble man a leader: "He never lost his belief that politics mattered, that people should be engaged in the political process and that politicians were people who cared for their country."

Romeo LeBlanc cared for his country, publicly and transparently. And because he was engaged and took the time to articulate how and why he cared, he challenged Canadians to believe in something beyond politics - the compassionate community that is the soul of common interest, from each family household to the House of Commons.

It took a governor general from a little village to remind everyone that Canada means "little village" - a place where all residents belong and cultural differences are respected, where people can trust and depend upon one another, and where our common history is a unifying force, rather than a point of division.