As his funeral is held in Ottawa Friday, Windsor and Essex County is celebrating the legacy of Herb Gray.

Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis and Leamington greenhouse builder Floyd Cacciavillani both received Multicultural Council Herb Gray Awards at a gala last night.

Executive Director of the Multicultural Council for Windsor and Essex County Kathleen Thomas says it’s a bittersweet time. “Herb had 40 years of public service and then continued to be involved in a lot of community institutions, so he has done a lot for our community, and he really believed in and embraced cultural diversity.”

Francis is happy to see the well-deserved recognition Gray’s getting, not only locally, but nationally and around the world. “What he stood up for and what he represented was the best in this community. So that alone meant a lot to me when I heard that I would be fortunate enough to be a recipient of the award with his namesake.”

As far as a ceremony for Herb Gray in Windsor-Essex, both Mayor Francis and Windsor West MPP Teresa Piruzza say there may be something soon, but they’re waiting until after the funeral to figure it out.