Travelling down Sparks Street, in downtown Ottawa, I pass the Thomas D’Arcy McGee Building. The man for whom that office building is named has the dubious honour of also having his name attached to several historic Canadian firsts.

The Honourable Thomas D’Arcy McGee was one of the Fathers of Confederation and a former Cabinet Minister in what was then known as the Province of Canada. After Confederation in 1867, he became the elected representative of the riding of Montreal West.

One night after leaving a very late parliamentary debate, he walked to the doorstep of his Sparks St. apartment and turned his key in his lock. He died before he could enter—our first and only federal politician ever assassinated. Subsequently, Canada gave him its very first state funeral.

Since that sorrowful 1868 event, Canada has held only 33 other State funerals—eight for Governors General, fifteen for Prime Ministers, nine for Cabinet Ministers, and one for a Member of Parliament—Jack Layton, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.

In the wake of Canada’s most recent state funeral, I think it worthwhile to briefly explore that element of our national identity. Though provincial and territorial governments sometimes hold state funerals for notable people in their own jurisdictions, most are federal, and administered by the Government of Canada, in cooperation with the family of the person who has died.

The tradition is important to us all, because it affords Canadians the opportunity to collectively mourn a figure of national significance.

Though every state funeral has its own uniqueness, depending on family preference, they share common elements: a lying-in-state in Ottawa, a procession, a by-invitation service, a committal, and a reception following the committal. The services may be held somewhere other than Ottawa, depending on family preference, and the committal may or may not include military honours.

Federal state funerals have traditionally been offered only to former Governors General, Prime Ministers, and Cabinet Ministers who have died in office. However, each Government is free to offer the service to other eminent Canadians, as Prime Minister Harper and our Cabinet did to the family of Mr. Layton.

I knew and often shared time (sandwiched between a steady stream of cell phone calls) in the gymnasium with Mr. Layton. Though we disagreed politically, I will miss his presence when Parliament re-convenes this week in Ottawa. Thank you to those constituents who sent kind condolences. To others who feel lessened by that loss, I offer my own.

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The audio version of Garry's Sept. 12, 2011 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here