‘A hero of mine’: Canadian astronauts reflect on the legacy of Marc Garneau

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk reacts to the death of Marc Garneau and reflects on his legacy in Canada's space program.

Some of Canada’s astronauts are paying tribute after the death of Marc Garneau, who was the country’s first person to travel to space before entering the world of politics.

“It’s just a really sad, sad moment,” said Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk in an interview with CTV News Channel. “He was a hero of mine for as long as I can remember.”

Garneau, who first travelled to space in 1984, flew on three space shuttle missions and served as president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005.

“He started the path that has brought so much benefit to this country in terms of our space program,” Kutryk said.

Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield shared a post on social media, saying “the world has lost a very good man.”

“Marc Garneau was my role model, mentor, 30-plus year close friend and a brave and exemplary Canadian for us all,” Hadfield, who served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS), wrote on X.

Kutryk, who will travel to the ISS at an undetermined date, noted Garneau’s impact extended well beyond his time as an astronaut and his role in building Canada’s contribution to the ISS.

“Mark Garneau is someone who just so perfectly espoused the values of Canada in exploration, in terms of having this really bold vision for Canada with space technology exploration and leading the way right from his very first flight,” he said.

“The Canadians first space program has been more successful, probably than almost any other space program in the world. It’s his legacy.”

Retired astronaut Robert Thirsk called Garneau “the best of the best.”

“He was operationally superb, technically brilliant,” Thirsk said in an interview with CTV National News Chief Anchor Omar Sachedina Wednesday, adding that Garneau also taught him a personal lesson about excellence.

“One of the things I learned from Mark was: if you’re going to excel, you really need to focus on the training, focus on the mission and get rid of all those other distractions,” Thirsk said. “The great people like Mark perform well because they make the necessary sacrifices and take their performance to another level. That stayed with me for the rest of my career.”

Fellow retired astronaut Dave Williams called Garneau’s passing a “tragic loss for Canada,” describing him as “the Canadian astronauts’ astronaut.”

“He was a role model and inspiring mentor. He was the icon of Canadian space exploration,” Williams said in an interview with CTV News National correspondent Genevieve Beauchemin Wednesday. “It’s just a very, very sad day.”

Williams, who lived near Garneau in Houston, Texas, while training with NASA, said their friendship grew beyond their shared profession.

“Mark was a tremendous individual, a man of great humility, tremendous wisdom, and I think he’s a major part of the reason that Canada is a major space-faring nation,” he said.

While Garneau’s space legacy is well known, Williams said his contributions in politics were equally significant.

“He was a tremendous representative of Canada, both as an astronaut and as a politician.”

Though Garneau often appeared formal in public life, Thirsk said his colleague had a “wonderful, wacky sense of humour.”

“When he was representing the space program in Canada or representing Canada internationally, he’d say the right thing and represent us well — but he also had a wacky side,” he said.

Thirsk also shared a glimpse into their time during training in southern U.S.

“He used to call me ‘Bab’ and I used to call him ‘Mork,’ M-O-R-C,” he said. “Just our way of being a couple of Canadians in the southern States and mixing in. It helped brighten up the day and relieve the stress.”

Members of Parliament rose for a moment of silence Wednesday evening to pay tribute to Garneau, after a request from government whip Mark Gerretsen.

His wife, Pam Garneau, released a statement Wednesday, saying: “Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity, and grace that defined his life. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family.”

With files from CTV News’ Joe Lofaro, CTV National News Chief Anchor Omar Sachedina and CTV News National correspondent Genevieve Beauchemin