Jack Layton Final Letter – In a letter to be his final to the Canadian people, Jack Layton pours his heart out and encourages the people to feel love instead of anger. It is truly a sad day in the history of the country, but the political fight for the people must go on.
Jack Layton penned a final letter to the Canadian people in his final hours. No one could have been sure this would be his last moments of earth, but apparently Jack did. The two page final letter was heart felt, encouraging, and spoke of his battle with cancer and the need for love in the country.
Jack Layton Final Letter
Jack Layton Final Letter
The final moments in the life of Jack Layton, he spent at his home in Toronto. He was surrounded by family and friends the entire time to try and encourage him on to remain in the fight against his most deadliest opponent to date, cancer. Unfortunately, the fight with cancer is one many people are all too familiar with as it seems to have effected the lives of someone we have all come to know and love.
The beloved politician was just 61 years old when he died of cancer recently. The country absolutely loved and adored him. However, in his letter he didn’t feel bad for himself, but wanted to encourage the country to not be discouraged because his fight with cancer didn’t turn out the way he wanted. He wanted everyone fighting cancer to continue to push forward and fight with all they have got to beat it.
As you can imagine there were tributes pouring out all over the country in honor of Jack Layton. The people left notes, flowers and cans of Orange Crush at memorials at places like the Centennial Flame in Ottawa, his home in Toronto, and many other places around the country.
The Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered the honor of a state funeral to the Layton family. It is our understanding they have accepted this kind gesture. The funeral will be held in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall on Saturday. It is expected to be a full house and books of condolences will be set up at Parliament Hill, Toronto City Hall and NDP constituency offices.
Jack Layton had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February of 2010. Once the diagnoses was made, it seems the cancer got very aggressive. He began to carry a cane to walk with to his various meetings and public appearances. It became a symbol of his hope and fight.
To have him die just under a year and a half later, let’s us know how serious and aggressive it was. Cancer is a terrible disease that tears through the family and body.
My heart goes out to the family of Jack Layton and the people of Canada. Recently, my wife lost her mother to cancer. Watching the two year battle she fought with the terrible illness is something I do not wish on anyone. It is horrific to watch the person you love shrink down to become a shell of themselves as if they are almost waiting to die.
However, like my mother-in-law, Jack Layton fought everyday of his life. He didn’t wait to become a cancer victim to start fighting. He fought for the people. He fought for what he thought was right. And he did it every single day of his life, which is something that will carry on in the spirit of the people of Canada.
Jack Layton Final Letter to Canadians
And since I know you came here to read the letter he wrote to the people of Canada, here it is published below. Read Jack Layton’s words, internalize them, and continue to fight Canada!
Dear Friends,
Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.
Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.
I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.
A few additional thoughts:
To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.
To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.
To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.
To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.
To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.
And finally, to all Canadians: 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. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.
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.
All my very best,
Jack Layton
Jack Layton Final Letter
The ending of the letter sums it all up. What the world needs is a little more love than anger, hope over fear, and optimism over despair. We can change and heal the world, if we are all willing to do our part. Rest in peace, Jack Layton. You have fought the good fight. – Jack Layton Final Letter
