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Shortly after Norman Kwong was made Alberta’s 16th lieutenant-governor, he and Gary Mar walked into the legislature together.

That day in 2005 Kwong turned to his younger in-law, then a member of Ralph Klein’s cabinet, grinned and said, “I guess you’re not going to be the most famous Chinese guy in this building anymore.”

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Saturday is a sad day, Mar said of Kwong’s death at age 86, but also a wonderful day to recognize the man’s many accomplishments.

“He was an extraordinary Canadian and somebody that the Chinese community was very proud of — he was such a groundbreaking individual in many different areas,” Mar said.

“Normie Kwong is somebody who touched many lives and influenced many lives including my own.”

“We’ll miss him a lot,” he said. “He is an impossible person to replace — there will be many people who will be inspired by him but there will be nobody quite like him.”

Kwong’s family issued a written statement Saturday.