Thursday Thirteen - 225 - 13 Excerpts From Jack Layton's Letter to Canadians

Like millions of Canadians, my heart was crushed on Monday when I heard the news that Jack Layton, the Official Opposition Leader had passed away.

We all knew that he was declining quickly from cancer. Though he'd successfully treated his prostate cancer following a 2010 diagnosis, the cross-country federal election he ran this past spring took its toll. In leading his party to an historic, political-landscape-changing victory, Jack Layton developed another undisclosed form of cancer, from which he did not recover.

On the day of his passing, Layton's family released a letter to a nation in mourning. Here are thirteen excerpts from this astounding gesture - so typical of a man I've admired since I moved to Toronto in the mid-80s.








1 - "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.

2 - 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.

3 - 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.

4 - 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.

5 - 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.

6 - 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. Our cause is much bigger than any one leader. 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.

7 - To the members of our parliamentary caucus: 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.

8 - To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided to work together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. 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.

9 - 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. 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. 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.

10 - 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.

11 - Your vote matters. Working for change can actually bring about change.

12 - 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.

13 - 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."

























Jack Layton's family have asked for donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Broadbent Institute.

"Drawing on contracted studies and volunteer work, the small, Ottawa-based organization will pursue the development of social democracy through research, education and training. It will rely on private fundraising." - Les Whittington, Toronto Star

5 on Friday - Set 14

For today's 5 on Friday, I'm showcasing Great Big Sea in honour of lead singer Alan Doyle. His first film opens today - Robin Hood!

Great Big Sea hails from Newfoundland, Canada's easternmost province.

For more tunes, visit Travis at Trav's Thoughts.

1 - The Old Black Rum

Well I'd drink to the Father
Or the Holy Ghost
Kneeling at the altar
Of my nightly post

And I'll raise a glass
Not the first or last
Come join me in this toast

- Great Big Sea



2 - Ordinary Day

I’ve got a smile on my face, I’ve got four walls around me
The sun in the sky, the water surrounds me
I’ll win now but sometimes I’ll lose
I’ve been battered, but I’ll never bruise, it’s not so bad

And I say way-hey-hey, it’s just an ordinary day
And it’s all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you’ve just got to say
It’s all right

- Great Big Sea



3 - Run Runaway

I like black and white
Dream in black and white
You like black and white
Run runaway

See chameleon lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run runaway

- Slade



4 - When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)

The night is just beginning
And then it comes on strong
It comes on strong, and I am lifted
I am lifted, I am lifted!

When I'm up I can't get down
Can't get down, can't get level
When I'm up I can't get down
Get my feet back on the ground

- Great Big Sea



5 - End of the World

It's the end of the world as we know it,
and I feel fine

- Great Big Sea



Jamie says I just love groups that know how to get an audience going. These guys are great.

Janet says Love Great Big Sea, Julia. From the moment I heard them years ago - love, love, love them!

Travis says I actually knew a couple of those tunes. This is a fun group!

5 on Friday - Set 12

For today's set, I'm no doubt introducing these artists to most of you. They all hail from my neck of the woods - Atlantic Canada, where the East Coast music scene is perpetually hopping. Whether it's a kitchen party in someone's house, a club or a concert venue, music is as much a part of being Down East as the salt air rolling off the ocean.

I'll share some more traditional east coast sound with you in a future post. For today, here are some alternative rock artists I love grooving to. For more tunes, check out Travis at Trav's Thoughts.

1 - Fashionable People - Joel Plaskett

I don't wanna hang around
In someone else's scene
Fashionable people
Doing questionable things

So ditch him
He's no good for you
Ditch him
Do the switcheroo
Switch him
Switch him up with me

- Joel Plaskett




2 - Jerk - Kim Stockwood

Since you've been gone
I feel so much better
Cause I saw how mean you could be

I used to want
Some explanation
Now all I want is my Patsy Cline CD

- Sheridan / Stockwood



3 - Tall Trees - Matt Mays

Gonna sing you a song
Two hundred years in the ground
Tall trees hanging over the road
Feels like they're staring me down

- Matt Mays



4 - Adam's Rib - Melanie Doane

Once upon a time
I was just a little bone
I was just a little tiny rib
And the rib cage was my home

Some days I'd wonder
How it would feel
To be my own person
To eat my own meals

I never had to make a plan
Just be a little piece of a bigger man

- Melanie Doane



5 - The Other Man - Sloan

You know I want to keep my distance
Does it happen anyway?
He knows you're going to drift apart
And there's nothing he can say

I know that he's a stand-up guy
But that's none of my concern
We've all been in one situation
Or another - it's my turn

To be the other man
No one's sympathising
When you're the other man
That everyone despises

- Ferguson / Murphy / Pentland / Scott



Linda says You always have such an interesting mix of music for your Five on Fridays - love it!

Jamie says What Linda said. I depend on you to be my source for what is new and/or interesting. Great mix and I really love that Fashionable People video.

Bond says Just throwing new and different at us each week. Very interesting.

Wordless Wednesday - 138

Ms Snarky Pants says Awwww look at your cute hockey playing Daddy! :-D

Nikita Banerjee says Nice pics!

Akelamalu says Great pictures of your Daddy Julia. :)

I'm blogging at missmakeamovie today

Join me at missmakeamovie

I'm blogging about a rather remarkable event making its way across Canada this week. Created by actor R.H. Thomson and lighting designer Martin Conboy, Vigil 1914-1918 brings the fallen soldiers of the First World War home in a moving journey made of names and light.

Beginning in London, England on Nov. 4th, the names of each soldier who died during the Great War will be shown as a light projection upon memorials across seven cities: London(UK), Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Edmonton.

At 5:00pm each evening, you can watch streaming video of the event at this link. The last name will appear as dawn breaks on November 11th.

Wordless Wednesday - 73

Photo by Malak

Almost Wordless Wednesday - 72

Almost Wordless Wednesday - 71