A coffin holding Peter Lougheed's body is on display in the rotunda of the legislature so Albertans can pay their respects to the man many credit with turning the province into an economic powerhouse.
E. Peter Lougheed passed away on Thursday night from natural causes at the age of 84 in the Calgary hospital that bears his name.
Members of Lougheed's family will accept condolences from the public as the former Alberta premier's body lies in state in Edmonton.
Members of the public can pay their respects from10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
A motorcade with a hearse carrying the body of Peter Lougheed arrived at the Alberta legislature Sunday night.
The motorcade left a Calgary funeral home Sunday afternoon and was escorted by eight Calgary Police Service motorcycle officers and several cruisers.
The hearse was met on the QE II Highway near Airdrie by provincial sheriffs who took over the motorcade to the Edmonton city limits.
RCMP carried the casket, draped in a Canadian and Alberta flag, into the legislature and the casket will remain closed during the public viewing.
Albertans will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Lougheed at those times, and through books of condolences which will be made available across the province.
Books of condolences will be made available from Sept. 17 to 28 at:
- Legislature in Edmonton – 107 Street and 97 Avenue
- McDougall Centre in Calgary – 455 6 Street
- Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray – 515 Mackenzie Boulevard
- ProvincialBuilding in Grande Prairie – 10320 99 Street
- ProvincialBuilding in Lethbridge – 200 5 Avenue S
- ProvincialBuilding in Medicine Hat – 346 3 Street SE
- ProvincialBuilding in Red Deer – 4920 51 Street
The Legislature and McDougall Centre is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Other provincial buildings are open from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday – with the exception of the Fort McMurray site, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.
Albertans can also share their condolences online - where a number of condolences have already been posted.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, "donations or volunteer actions that support his charitable interests" are preferred. The family lists the Banff Centre and the Lougheed House Conservation Society as two organizations to contribute to.
However, any flowers that are brought will be collected at the end of each day by Alberta Health Services and will be distributed to hospitals or care centres.
A state memorial will be held on Friday, September 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
Seating will be reserved for family members, government officials and friends but there will also be some seating for the public.
Limited seating will be offered to members of the public on a first-come-first-serve basis starting at 10:00 a.m.
In anticipation of a large crowd, officials will also set up over-flow seating in the SAIT Polytechnic gym where the memorial will be broadcast live.
There will be no parking at the Jubilee so people are encouraged to use public transit.
The memorial will also be broadcast live online.
(With files from CTV Edmonton and The Canadian Press)
