On election night last May, Jack Layton declared “a new chapter begins” after leading his party to historic gains.
He passed away early Monday at the age of 61 at his Toronto home, closing the final chapter on the life of a tenacious and charismatic politician.
News of his death came just a few weeks after Layton announced that he was stepping down to battle a second form of cancer. His gaunt appearance and diminished voice were shocking signs of the severity of the latest bout of cancer, despite the fact he stressed his leave of absence would be a temporary one.
"We deeply regret to inform you that the honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 am today, Monday August 22," said a statement from his wife, Olivia Chow, and children, Sarah and Michael.
"He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones."
A state funeral for Layton will be held in Toronto on Saturday at Roy Thomson Hall, city councillor Pam McConnell told a crowd gathered at city hall on Monday afternoon. A time has not been released.
Hours before his death, Layton wrote an open letter to Canadians, thanking them for all their good wishes and giving them some final thoughts, particularly addressing Canada's youth.
"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," he said. "Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me .... You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future."
Click
here to read the letter that was published Monday.
Tens of thousands of Canadians took to social media to share their condolences and memories for the leader. The window below tracks "Jack Layton" on Twitter.
A memorial Facebook page has also been established. A digital book of condolences can be found on the NDP website here.
Layton’s public battle with cancer began in 2010 when he announced he had prostate cancer. He emerged from that battle with a hip fracture and the cane that became an iconic symbol of his determined spirit to win the 2011 federal election.
While not successful in taking control of Parliament, he led the NDP to Official Opposition status for the first time in the party’s history, raising that cane several times while making spirited addresses on the campaign trail.
Colleagues, constituents, labour leaders and political rivals remembered Layton fondly later Monday, many praising his determined spirit and scrappy approach when it came to sticking up for the little guy.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Layton was never one to back down from a fight.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I salute Jack’s contribution to public life, a contribution that will be sorely missed,” he said in a statement released Monday morning.
"I know one thing: Jack gave his fight against cancer everything he had. Indeed, Jack never backed down from any fight.”
In a news conference later Monday, Harper offered a brief statement on Layton’s passing. He praised the NDP leader’s abilities as a musician and said they had talked about getting together to “jam.”
“I will always regret the jam session that never was,” the Prime Minister said before offering comment on the plane crash in Resolute Bay, Nunavut and rebel advances in Libya.
Many politicians offered their sympathies and remembered Layton’s career.
"I think his legacy will be remarkable. He was a very successful political figure in our country," Liberal Leader Bob Rae said. "He had extraordinary resilience and an ability to come back from defeat both political and his personal challenges."
Mayor Rob Ford, who had worked with Layton when they were both councillors, said the NDP leader "always had a bright smile on his face, whether he won or lost the vote.
"He never let the job go to his head. He was very humble and a people person. He will be missed," Ford said at a press conference Monday.
Other colleagues offered thoughts about Layton on Twitter.
“Mourning the loss of Jack Layton with Canadians of all political stripes. A great leader, friend and mentor who changed politics in Canada!” Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath tweeted.
“Throughout his life and career, Jack was a determined servant of the people. He always worked hard to represent his constituents, their interests and their needs,” Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a statement. “He was always a tireless champion for people and our communities. Ontarians and indeed, all Canadians, will miss his passion, hard work and fighting spirit.”
The Montreal-born Layton had politics in his blood. His father was a cabinet minister under Brian Mulroney. He was also a descendant of a Father of Confederation.
Layton won the NDP leadership in 2003 in a race against Prairie candidate Bill Blaikie. In 2006, the party won 29 seats. In the 2008 election Layton branded himself as not just a party leader but a potential prime minister and the party increased its standing to 37 seats.
The breakthrough came this year when he made unexpected inroads in Quebec, where his trademark moustache, straight-shooting approach and promises to help everyday working families resonated with voters. In early May, Canadians handed the NDP an historic 103 seats -- 59 of them in Quebec.
Layton earned his BA at McGill University and, inspired by the “tumultuous days of the October Crisis,” he became an activist and community organizer. He went on to earn a master’s degree at York University and taught at Ryerson. He earned his PhD in 1984, but by then he’d all but abandoned the halls of academia for street-level activism.
He was elected to Toronto city council in 1982, where he served for several years. During his time in municipal politics he fought hard for the homeless and gay rights.
“He has left a national legacy not just as the most successful leader of the New Democratic Party, but as the former President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) where he built a strong national consensus between urban and rural Canada, and between municipal politicians of all political parties resulting in national investment in Canada's cities and towns,” former Toronto mayor David Miller said in a statement.
“His progressive leadership - and his personal courage and relentless optimism - are going to be very much missed.”
While Layton enjoyed some political highs, he also experienced the lows. He failed to win the Toronto mayor’s seat in 1991. He also failed to win a federal seat twice, in 1993 and 1997.
He had two children, Sarah and Michael (now a Toronto city councillor) with his first wife and high school sweetheart Sally Halford. That marriage ended in 1983.
Layton married Olivia Chow in 1988 and the pair became a powerful left-of-centre voice on council. The couple appeared together at public events, often sharing kisses, riding their bikes and marching in parades. She followed him to the House of Commons as an MP in 2006.
Rookie MP and former labour leader Nycole Turmel is currently serving as interim leader of the NDP. She rose to the position when Layton announced he was stepping down last month.
With files from The Canadian Press