Pierre Trudeau, shown here in a 1974 file photo, passed away Sept.28, 2000. (Peter Bregg/Canadian Press) A decade after his death, Pierre Elliott Trudeau remains a controversial, contentious figure in Canada.

The former prime minister, who passed away 10 years ago on Sept. 28, was one the most charismatic, accomplished leaders the country has ever seen, and several newspaper columnists have weighed in on Trudeau's legacy in recent days.

"For better or worse, he's responsible in large measure for the charter, official bilingualism and official multiculturalism," wrote Bruce Cheadle in the Globe and Mail. "Mr. Trudeau legalized contraception, abortion, homosexual acts between consenting adults and lotteries ... The Canada Health Act was enacted, restricting provinces from experimenting with health care."
 
The Telegram's Peter Jackson discussed some of Trudeau's most controversial moves, including enacting the War Measures Act during the FLQ crisis in 1970 and introducing the National Energy Program in 1980, which "spurred a huge backlash in western provinces, particularly Alberta, where it was seen as a blatant intrusion on provincial jurisdiction over resources."

National Post columnist Don Newman ultimately concluded there is no doubt that Trudeau's list of accomplishments was "impressively long. But deep divisions linger on whether he defined Canada for the better or worse."

What do you think about Pierre Trudeau's legacy? Did he have a positive or negative impact on Canada? Let us know.

Corrections and clarifications

• A photo caption with an earlier version of this story said Pierre Trudeau died Sept. 28, 2010. In fact, the former prime minister died on that day in 2000.