Thousands of people flowed into Ottawa City Hall Thursday to pay their final respects to former mayor Marion Dewar during a lying in state at Jean Piggott Hall.

Pallbearers from Ottawa police, paramedics and the RCMP carried her coffin, draped with the City of Ottawa flag, in a dignified ceremony.

"Marion was a friend. Marion was somebody who made me a better person, taught me to aim high and do good," said a teary-eyed Alex Munter, who was on hand for the lying in state Thursday.

"She was a loving and caring person who had a belief system, a political belief system, of values that she fought for, but she embraced everyone in the community whether or not they shared the same political views," added Ed Broadbent, former leader of the NDP.

Those who came to pay tribute included many from the Vietnamese community who thank Dewar for a program called Project 4000, where she arranged for Vietnamese boat people to relocate in the capital.

"I'm one of the Vietnamese . . . who came here in 1979 and we never forget her and she helped a lot of Vietnamese as we escape from Vietnam," said Bach Dang.

Those who didn't always agree with Dewar's political beliefs were also on hand to say goodbye to a woman who they say touched many in the City of Ottawa.

"Marion and I were at different ends of the political spectrum. She thought I was a radical Conservative and, of course, she was an NDP so I can honestly say, 'Marion, I love you dearly but you never voted for me,'" said Andrew Haydon, who was regional chair while Dewar was mayor.

After her third term as mayor, Dewar went on to become a Member of Parliament and president of the federal New Democratic Party.

Dewar died in a Toronto hospital Monday after taking a serious fall while attending the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend. She was 80 years old.

A public funeral will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Basil's Church on Rex Avenue in Ottawa's west end.

Those wishing to make donations in Dewar's memory are asked to contact Oxfam Canada at www.oxfam.ca or 1-800-466-9326.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr