CANADA HISTORY - Documents

Joe Clark - Charles Joseph Clark Eulogy to Diefenbaker

Analysis of the Document - (The Document follows below the Analysis)

Joe Clark’s eulogy for John Diefenbaker, delivered on August 22, 1979, stands as a moving tribute to one of Canada's most iconic political figures. Clark, then Prime Minister, spoke not only as a fellow Conservative but as someone who admired Diefenbaker's deep commitment to public service, democracy, and the unity of Canada. Diefenbaker, who had served as Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963, was known for his populist rhetoric, fierce independence, and dedication to expanding the rights of Canadians, particularly through his championing of the Bill of Rights in 1960.

Clark's eulogy captured the essence of Diefenbaker's legacy: his devotion to the people, his unwavering belief in Canadian unity, and his determination to give a voice to all citizens, particularly those who had often been overlooked in the corridors of power. Clark painted a picture of Diefenbaker as a man who, despite being shaped by the prairie conservatism of Saskatchewan, sought to bridge the divides between East and West, English and French, rural and urban Canadians.

The eulogy highlighted Diefenbaker’s achievements in expanding Canada's international presence, particularly through his stance on human rights and his efforts to maintain Canadian sovereignty against U.S. pressure, most notably in his opposition to joining the U.S. missile defense program during the Cold War. Clark recognized these as moments where Diefenbaker’s moral compass and fierce independence were most evident, and he credited him with helping Canada assert a unique voice on the world stage.

In the context of Canadian political history, Clark’s tribute to Diefenbaker was significant not only as a remembrance of the man but as a moment of reflection on the principles that had long driven the Progressive Conservative Party. Clark drew a direct line from Diefenbaker’s defense of civil liberties and Canadian unity to his own leadership and vision for the country. It was a reminder that Diefenbaker’s populist roots and deep-seated belief in a government accountable to its people were legacies that still informed Canadian politics in 1979.

Diefenbaker’s influence extended beyond his policies and rhetoric; his ability to connect with ordinary Canadians and his deep conviction in democratic principles left an indelible mark on Canadian political culture. Clark, in his eulogy, spoke to Diefenbaker's lifelong service, even as his political career waned in the 1960s. He highlighted Diefenbaker’s unflagging energy, his passion for parliamentary democracy, and his refusal to compromise his ideals.

Clark’s eulogy also served as a subtle reflection on the challenges of political leadership. It was no secret that Diefenbaker’s later years in office were marked by controversy and declining support within his party, but Clark presented these struggles as evidence of Diefenbaker’s steadfastness, portraying him as a leader who, though often criticized, remained true to his convictions. This was especially relevant for Clark, a leader facing the difficult task of managing a minority government at the time of Diefenbaker’s death.

The legacy of Clark’s tribute to Diefenbaker had lasting implications for Canadian political memory. Diefenbaker's passion for an inclusive Canada—a Canada where all voices mattered, regardless of region or class—became a point of reflection for future generations of leaders. In delivering this eulogy, Clark cemented Diefenbaker’s place in the Conservative Party’s lineage, reminding Canadians of the importance of principled leadership, even in the face of political adversity.

In the broader sweep of Canadian history, Diefenbaker’s contributions, as highlighted by Clark, were a reminder of the ongoing struggle to define Canadian identity. His fight for civil rights, his push for a more independent foreign policy, and his efforts to build a nation that embraced all Canadians—Anglophone, Francophone, Indigenous, and immigrant—were part of a vision that, though sometimes contentious, shaped Canada’s path toward becoming a more just and inclusive society.

In conclusion, Joe Clark’s Eulogy to John Diefenbaker was both a tribute to a remarkable figure in Canadian politics and a reflection on the principles that had guided Diefenbaker’s career. It underscored the enduring values of democracy, unity, and service that Diefenbaker embodied, values that continued to influence the course of Canadian politics and society long after his death.

TEXT OF EULOGY DELIVERED BY

PRIME MINISTER JOE CLARK

AT THE BURIAL SERVICE OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN G. DIEFENBAKER,

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN

AUGUST 22, 1979

John Diefenbaker is home -- at the end of a life which started in another century, and embraced most of the history of our Canada. He came to this West when it was raw and young, in the year Saskatchewan became a province. As a child, he talked with the buffalo hunters. As a man, he led his country and dominated its Parliament. Along the way, he touched the lives of his fellow Canadians as no one ever will again.

It is easier to change laws than to change lives. John Diefenbaker changed both. His Bill of Rights, his social programs, his resource and regional development policies, changed permanently the laws of Canada. But, more fundamental than that, he changed our vision of our country. He opened the nation to itself, and let us see our possibilities. It is fitting that his last work, from which death took him, was to prepare a speech to open the Dempster, his highway to our Northern Sea.

We are not here to pass judgment on John Diefenbaker. We are here to celebrate the frontier strength and spirit of an indomitable man, born to a minority group, raised in a minority region, leader of a minority party, who went on to change the very nature of his country -- and to change it permanently. When any man dies, after nearly 84 full years, there is a mixture of memories. With this man, there is the certain knowledge that he leaves his country better, broader, prouder than he found it.

He was the great populist of Canadian politics. John Diefenbaker opened the politics of our country to those to whom it had always been closed. He gave politics a lively reality to those to whom it had seemed remote. He brought daylight to a process too long obscured in shadow and mystery.

He was a man of passion. Whatever the issue, whomever the person, he had a view -- strongly held -- forcefully offered -- vigorously defended. John Diefenbaker did not tiptoe through the public life of Canada; he strode through -- and, as he offered passion to his fellow Canadians, he drew passion in return. John Diefenbaker attracted every reaction from the people of this country, except indifference.

He was a patriot. To John Diefenbaker patriotism was never out of fashion; it was the essence of his life. Not every Canadian shared his view of Canada, but all knew and were touched by his devotion to his view. His faith shaped and formed all his other beliefs. His belief in Canada as a land of equality for all its citizens is in his Bill of Rights. His awareness of the full breadth of this land is in the northern development he spurred and in the regional development he fostered. His abiding commitment to social justice and human dignity is in the health care system he initiated, and in the programs he sponsored to help the disadvantaged.

He was much more than a statesman. Statesmen are strangers, and John Diefenbaker was personal to most of the people of Canada. He mainstreemed through life. And in those last days, the mourners, who lined the train's long route, who came at midnight to say farewell, who sang and applauded as he left -- they were not remembering a Bill of Rights, or a debate in Parliament, or a particular cause or party. Their homage was to a singular man, who entered and enlarged our lives and whom we wanted to see home.

In a very real sense, his life, was Canada. Over eight decades, he spanned our history, from the ox cart on the Prairies to the satellite in space. He shaped much of that history, all of it shaped him.

Now that life -- that sweep of history -- has ended. And we are here today to see John Diefenbaker to his final place of rest.

It is appropriate that it be here. For, while John Diefenbaker was of all of Canada, he was, above all else, a man of the Prairies. His populism was inspired in this open land. His deep feelings for the needs of individuals were shaped by what he saw and felt during the Depression years. The South Saskatchewan dam -- one of his physical legacies -- reflected his determination that farmers in the region never again suffer dust when there should be grass. It wee from Prince Albert that he looked North and caught the vision with which he stirred the minds and hearts of all of us.

And so we commit his mortal remains to the Prairie soil, here, on the campus where he studied and was chancellor, above the river which was a route of our first westward pioneers, in the province which formed him. He showed what one man can do in a country like Canada.

As we commit his body to the land he loved, we commit his soul to the Creator he sought to serve. And we -- each of us -- commit our memories of him to all of our hearts.

Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon him.

God bless and keep John Diefenbaker.