Military flyover part of weekend state funeral for Sask. Lt.-Gov. in Saskatoon
W. Thomas Molloy died after battle with pancreatic cancer on July 2
A state funeral for the Saskatchewan's recently-deceased lieutenant governor W. Thomas Molloy will be held in Saskatoon on Saturday.
Molloy was appointed to the role in early 2018 and stepped away from his duties in May 2019 to undergo pancreatic cancer treatment.
He died on July 2 at the age of 78.
There will be a two-and-a-half hour window in which the Royal Canadian Airforce will fly overhead with four CT-155 Hawks, beginning when the ceremony at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon starts at 1 p.m. CST.
The aircraft will dip down over Molloy's funeral "to honour his contribution to the province of Saskatchewan," according to a public service announcement by national defence.
The public is invited to attend the service. People can also sign condolence books at the Legislative Building or Government House in Regina and City Hall in Saskatoon.
The ceremony's location, near the University of Saskatchewan, holds a lot of significance in Molloy's life. He received his law degree from the university in the 1960s and was chancellor there from 2001 to 2007.
From there, Molloy became a distinguished lawyer and federal negotiator.
He was behind many modern agreements that shaped Canada, including acting as the federal negotiator who drew the borders of what we now call Nunavut. He went on to negotiate the Nisga'a treaty in British Columbia.
Former Premier Roy Romanow went to the U of S at the same time as Molloy and the two formed a lifelong bond.
Romanow said Molloy's work as a lawyer could have taken him anywhere, but he chose to stay in Saskatoon his whole life.
"I think mainly he really loved the province and loved the city. And his family was here of course, in large measure, and that's basically good enough reason for him to stay here," Romanow said.
Flags on all provincial government buildings will be at half-mast until sunset Saturday of Molloy's memorial service.