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Above: Jack Layton speaks to the media. His Press Secretary, Rupinder Kaur, stands by, at the far left.

People

Jack Layton [1950-2011]:
A Friend of the Sikh Community

CBC NEWS

 

 

New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jack Layton, who led Canada's Official Opposition, has died at his Toronto home at age 61 after a battle with cancer.

Layton died peacefully early Monday, August 22, 2011, surrounded by family and loved ones, according to a statement from his wife, Olivia Chow, and his children, Sarah and Michael Layton.

Details about funeral arrangements will be forthcoming, it said.

After the news of Layton's death emerged shortly after 8 a.m., friends, colleagues and Canadians reacted quickly and with shock, sadness and tears.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement saying he was saddened to hear the news.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I salute Jack's contribution to public life, a contribution that will be sorely missed," said Harper. "I know one thing: Jack gave his fight against cancer everything he had. Indeed, Jack never backed down from any fight," said Harper.

Longtime NDP leader and MP Ed Broadbent told CBC News that he is "deeply saddened such a great Canadian is taken from us in the very prime of his life."

NDP deputy leader Libby Davies, fighting back tears, said Layton's death is "an incredible loss."

"Jack was not only a great leader of the NDP, he's someone that Canadians across the country came to love. We feel a tremendous sense of loss and grief," she said.

Davies said Layton brought a sense of humanity to Canadian politics and in his career and his life, especially his battle with cancer, "he gave it his all."

"We have only love and respect for everything that he did and he leaves some really important legacies in Canadian politics," she said.

Tributes to Layton poured in from across party lines.

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said the news took his breath away and that Layton's death is not just a loss for his party, but for all Canadians.

"It's a loss for the country because he was a political guy who believed strongly in politics and who had a lot of resilience and a lot of guts," Rae told CBC News.

The leader of the Official Opposition announced on July 25 he was stepping away from the job to concentrate on his cancer treatment. He told Canadians he had recently been diagnosed with a new form of cancer, in addition to the prostate cancer he had earlier battled.

WANTED TO GO BACK TO WORK

The NDP appointed Quebec MP Nycole Turmel to take over for Layton temporarily. Layton wanted to be back at work in time for Parliament's fall session in mid-September.

Reaction to Layton's death was widespread. American ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, also issued a statement to express his condolences.

"I just received the sad news that Jack Layton has passed away. On behalf of my family as well as the American people I want to express our sorrow to Jack’s wife Olivia Chow, his family, and his friends and supporters across Canada," he wrote on his website.

"I will never forget the image of Jack campaigning as the happy warrior. His energy, enthusiasm and passion for politics and for the Canadian people were undeniable. Something I will never forget. A standard for all of us."

Layton's chief of staff, Anne McGrath, said she last saw Layton on Saturday in Toronto and that they went over plans for the future, should he lose his battle with cancer.

"There's no question that my heart is broken," said McGrath, who worked with Layton for nearly a decade.

 

August 22, 2011

 

Conversation about this article

1: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), August 22, 2011, 11:12 AM.

So sad to hear this. Jack Layton supported Sikhs for a long time over various issues, be it the right to wear the Kirpan or seeking answers over the 1984 genocide. Even through his illness, he stood up for many Sikh causes, including recently, when he urged the Canadian Prime Minister to intervene in the judicial murder of Prof. DEvinderpal Singh Bhullar currently planned by the Indian Government. Jack, you will be truly missed by your Sikh friends and fans.

2: Pardeep Singh Nagra (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), August 22, 2011, 1:37 PM.

Mr. Layton: Thanks for the memories, and even more, thanks for your support for the Sikhs of Canada. Your openness and hospitality will surely be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. On a personal note, I had the chance to meet Mr. Layton several times and he always found a way to gravitate to you with a warm smile, hello and handshake. A rarity for politicians who usually expect you to come to them!

3: Sandeep Singh Brar (Canada), August 22, 2011, 1:42 PM.

A great Canadian and a good man, I will really miss him. I remember in the Nagar Kirtan parades in Toronto, Jack would walk the entire parade route, meeting and talking to everyone along the way. All the other politicians would just show up only at the stage at the end of the parade for the photo-op and their time on stage. Jack not only attended Sikh events but you could always count on him to mention Sikh milestones such as remembering the contribution of Buckam Singh and the other Sikhs that fought for Canada in the First World War. Jack also had another connection with the Sikh community. He chose as his "right-hand man" and personal assistant, Rupinder Kaur, a brilliant and talented GurSikh. Jack was honest, intelligent and most importantly genuine, nothing like most of the phoney opportunistic politicians that we have today. You will not be forgotten, Jack.

4: Harinder (Uttar Pradesh, India), August 22, 2011, 1:53 PM.

May Waheguru bless his soul and give him eternal peace. To the family members, I offer my condolences; may Waheguru give them the strength to bear this loss.

5: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), August 22, 2011, 8:09 PM.

Canada is a beautiful country where you can see Akaal Purakh's natural beauty. Jack Layton's association with Sikhs is a beautiful legacy, whereas extremism and intolerance between communities are the order of the day everywhere in the world today.

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A Friend of the Sikh Community"









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