Marc Garneau—the distinguished naval officer, astronaut, and politician—has made a lasting impact on our world and beyond. Rocco fought genres like leukemia and lymphoma until age 76. What remains is his legacy rooted in a commitment to the American public, safety, and advancing the practice of and the science behind public health.
In 1984, Garneau became the first Canadian to fly in space. He accomplished this incredible achievement as a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger. His historic mission opened doors for the countless Canadian astronauts who would follow in his footsteps. He went on to fly to space two more times, in 1996 and 2000, fulfilling a lifelong love for science and exploration.
Garneau’s journey in space continued with impressive accomplishments. From 2001 to 2005, he was the president of the Canadian Space Agency. Over the next few years, he fought for the development of programs that would define the future path of Canada’s space program. His friend and former NASA colleague Gilles Leclerc pointed out Garneau’s deep impact on multiple major missions focused on planetary science and lunar exploration.
During his tenure, he really wanted us to focus more on science: astronomy, planetary science, lunar exploration,” Leclerc said. So all these things that now we see, all these great missions that Canada played a role in… Marc had a real strong influence in shaping the future of the space program for many years.
Garneau’s commitment to safety was on display throughout his career. He came up with the Safer Skies initiative which furthered the agency’s goal of ensuring a higher standard of aviation safety throughout Canada. He enacted the Oceans Protection Plan, which includes measures to track ship traffic, oil spills, and endangered species across Canada’s coastlines. This commitment to safety and environmental stewardship was evident in his greater vision for attaining a more responsible and sustainable future.
After his stellar career in space exploration, Garneau chose to enter politics to serve his community. As a result, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount in the 2008 federal election. His method of doing politics was defined by a rare trait for an elected official—when he spoke with you, he listened as much or more than he talked.
“He had a very rare quality in a politician… which was: he listened more than he talked,” said Roy, a close associate of Garneau. This doggedness made him exceedingly popular with constituents and fellow legislators as well.
As an MP in Parliament, Garneau fought for several important social causes. He was the joint chair of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. Because he truly understood the role that policies should play in improving the lives of Canadians.
Lisa Campbell, a former colleague at the Canadian Space Agency, expressed gratitude for Garneau’s contributions: “We remain deeply grateful for his extraordinary public service and enduring contributions to Canada and the world, from making history as the first Canadian in space to guiding the Canadian Space Agency as its president.” She further remarked on his integrity, saying, “His integrity and generosity of spirit touch everyone who had the privilege of working with him.”
“He wanted to tell the story that, ‘I’m just like everybody else and I failed and I’ve screwed up and I pulled up my socks and I learned from my mistakes and I moved on,’” Roy shared. This narrative of resilience became the core of Garneau’s character and became a renewable source of inspiration to everyone around him.
His influence didn’t stop with his scientific and political achievements. He was a liberating role model for Canadian kids with astronaut dreams. Gilles Leclerc noted, “He was really a role model to all the Canadian astronauts who came after him.” Under Garneau’s stewardship, Canada positioned itself to take robust roles in missions to asteroids and exploration of Mars.
