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Monday, August 22, 2011

In Memoriam: Jack Layton, 1950-2011


In a tragic irony, Canada's Leader of the Opposition, Jack Layton, 61, has died of prostate cancer just three months after leading his party to a stunning, historic breakthrough in the last parliamentary election.

He is survived by his wife, Olivia Chow, who is also a New Democratic MP, and two children.  Funeral arrangments have yet to be announced.

Layton salutes supporters with his cane during the 2011 election campaign
From the beginning of his political career in the 1980's as a member of the Toronto city council, Layton was always a friend of the LGBT community, and his party's support was instrumental in the passing of Canada's equal-marriage law in 2005.

A few days ago, Layton penned a farewell message to Canadians, which reads in part:
Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. . . .

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.
My condolences to all Canadians.  Rest in peace, bon Jack.

Layton and Chow ride a tandem bike in Toronto's gay pride parade, 2005

5 comments:

Craig said...

He was indeed a very good man. A terrible loss.

DeepBlue said...

:'(
Certainly the best thing that happened to us since René Lévesque.
I dare invite you to my own little tribute.
Thanks
Hugs
Jon

Russ Manley said...

What a lovely tribute that is, Jon, and the song fits so well. Bless you for doing that.

Buddy Bear said...

Thank you for that beautiful tribute... we Canadians appreciated all that Mr. Layton had done for LGBT folk and others, but I was pleasantly surprised that someone in Texas also noticed.

Russ Manley said...

I admire Canada for its enlightened, humane values in many areas, Buddy, and ever since the passage of the Civil Marriage Act in 2005 have kept a friendly eye on developments in the True North.

And I wept to hear of Jack's death, which is a great loss I think not only for Canada but perhaps for the world. I hope you all will not let his legacy fade away.

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