There's Something about Jack.

[Cate]

Hi and thank you to those who made kind comments about the poem - I'm sorry I thought I had posted earlier but I must have started and not actually posted it

Lizzy - Jack truly was an inspiration and yep, we Canadians have got a lot of work to do to restore our good names if even just to ourselves - we've let ourselves down with many of our current social policies, environmental policies (oil sands) and foreign policies (Afganistan - we once considered ourselves peacekeepers). We can do better.

Mary - Thank you ... I think you're in Ottawa, it must have been an interesting few days there.

Sheila's so right - he was just 'Jack' . I hadn't really thought about how he turned the cane into a symbol of empowerment before - at least not in the front part of my head. and like Lisa said, we just don't know what he would have accomplished - there was a little bit of a 'just watch me' attitude going on there that didn't seem to be affected by a cane or a little cancer.

[Cate]

L - thank you for posting those pink ribbons and the full of Jacks letter (I almost said poem). Years ago I used to make those ribbons with a group of volunteers who had intellectual disabilities there was something restful about the repetitive act of folding them and then pinning them.

"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."

................... Beautiful words from a beautiful soul........

they are, aren't they. Such a simple statement but so beautiful.


Thanks Theresa - Jack twittering from a L.C. concert!

I think he was born in Montreal too - also a Mcgill graduate as well
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A picture of Jack Layton and his wife/long time partner Olivia Chow on the front porch of their house.

[anneporter]

Some footage from the Jack Layton Memorial tribute in my hometown (St. John's Newfoundland)
http://youtu.be/OlOjgdCAb1k

[Cate]

You can hear seagulls in the background! A beautiful setting for a memorial. I have to admit that I flipped through but one song that struck me was by Terry Riley (19:50) – Dear Jack Layton – I give you this tune …

I see that they were writing messages in chalk as well. Friday morning I brought my children down to Toronto city hall to pay our respect. The picture is not very good it’s just from my camera but there were so very many messages there. Later we spent the day at the CNE and even there was presence. A large Jack Layton poster being signed by fair goers … the staff said that it was just one of several, they switched them as they filled.

[anneporter]

I got swept up in the tens of thousands of people, on foot, on bikes, on stilts, in wheelchairs....singing, dancing, laughing, crying.... before I even made it to the hotel to check in. There is amazing energy in Toronto this weekend, unleashed by the phenomenon of Jack and his sudden departure. Here are some photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... fa6&type=1