Marc Garneau’s career took him from the quarterdeck of a destroyer to the controls of a space shuttle, into the halls of Parliament and even Carleton University’s campus.
The Quebec City native and Carleton chancellor from 2003 to 2008 was a naval officer, engineer, astronaut and politician. He died last month at age 76 after battling cancer.
“He was truly out of this world,” said Jacques Shore, former chair of Carleton’s board of directors who worked with Garneau during the early 2000s. “He raised the bar significantly.”
Garneau graduated with a bachelor’s of science in engineering physics from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston in 1970. Three years later, he earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Imperial College in London, Ont.
After joining the Canadian Navy in 1974, Garneau rose to the rank of captain, serving as a combat systems engineer and instructor. He then made history as the first Canadian to fly in space in 1984.
In 2001, Garneau was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency, overseeing the growth of Canada’s robotic and scientific contributions to international missions until 2005.
In 2003, Garneau became the chancellor of Carleton University, presiding over many convocation ceremonies until 2008.
One of Shore’s fondest memories of Garneau is sharing the stage with him as graduates received their degree.
“He really respected the ceremonies, and the students really appreciated him too,” he said. “He was always there for them and always there for us.”
Garneau later entered politics as a Liberal MP for a Montreal riding in 2008. He served as Minister of Transport from 2015 to January 2021 under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs until October 2021.
Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi’s 2008 degree from Carleton prominently features Garneau’s signature on it. Years later, Naqvi had the chance to serve alongside him in Parliament.
The 52-year-old politician wrote in a social media statement that Garneau was, “a true Canadian in every sense,” breaking barriers as the country’s first astronaut and carrying himself with, “quiet humility, thoughtfulness and grace.”
Second-year engineering student Tom Martin admired Garneau’s many contributions across several fields and looked up to him — even though they never met.
“As an engineer, you definitely hear a lot about him,” he said. “Everything I’ve heard has always been positive.
“Engineer, astronaut, a (cabinet) minister… talk about versatile. It’s a real bonus that he spent time at Carleton.”
As Shore reflected back on his time working with Garneau, he said he remains in awe of what he was able to accomplish for the country.
“Garneau was a true Canadian icon,” he said. “I’ll miss him dearly.”
Featured image provided by Carleton University
