Growing memorial for Layton at city hall
Posted August 23, 2011 9:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rob Ford’s determined and at times overzealous war on graffiti is temporarily on hold as hundreds of mourners scrawl chalk messages at city hall, turning the drab, gray concrete into a growing and glowing memorial to former NDP Leader Jack Layton.
“Love is better than anger.”
“Hope is better than fear.”
“Optimism is better than despair.”
They are Layton’s own last words, described by one prominent newspaper columnist as ‘vainglorious,’ but embraced by most for their positivity.
“His last words in that letter are so haunting and beautiful and moving, they are an inspiration,” said Hanna Elias. “I’ve been logging onto my Facebook and all of my friends have been quoting it and I think that’s going to be a legacy, and those words, Canadians will hold onto them.”
Layton’s longtime friend and colleague, Toronto-Danforth MPP, Peter Tabuns, wasn’t surprised to see how many people “Jack” has touched.
“People had a personal connection with him, sometimes so fleeting and so small, and sometimes over decades, that was very powerful,” he said. “And now they are coming out to express their love and affection.”
John Quarterly was moved by the memorial, and Layton’s poignant letter to Canadians.
“How can a man be that strong and have that much belief in his country from his deathbed to write that, for us. We are all Canadians,” he said, fighting back tears.
“All these people, there’s so much energy and power and love and just belief in this country. We’ve just got to take it and go forward.”
With files from Avery Haines
