'He was a person that just truly cared' - Kathy Cornish

By NICK LYPACZEWSKI TIMES-JOURNAL

News broke Monday morning that former NDP party leader Jack Layton had died. However, if area politicians' reactions are any indication, his legacy and its reverence will be far from forgotten.

In a letter dated Aug. 20 and posted to the NDP website, Layton writes to Canadians in an apparent anticipation of his death.

"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," it read.

"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... . You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future."

Many St. Thomas and Elgin politicians had met Layton in person and each had nothing but compliments and esteem for the Quebec-born politician.

Joe Preston, EML conservative MP, said he and Layton used to exercise at the same gym, during which time they shared many conversations outside the realm of politics.

The last time Preston spoke with Layton in person was during an elevator ride shortly after the federal election had been called in April.

"He wasn't looking good. We all knew he wans't in the best of shape but he grabbed my arm and asked me how I was," Preston told the Times-Journal Monday morning as he watched coverage of Layton's passing on television.

"We'd just been through all of the commitee meetings and I chaired the committee meetings all day for three days in a row and he was more worried about me than him. That says a lot about who Jack Layton was as a man."

During their conversations over the past few years, Preston says Layton would frequently inquire about the EML riding as he was always curious about where other MPs were from and what was going on in their areas.

Despite their different party affiliations, Preston says he admired Layton's passion.

"He had his beliefs and he stuck with them and you can ask nothing more of a politician than to believe in something and work as hard as you can towards it... . He knew what he thought government should look like and how government should behave and he did nothing but strive towards that," the MP adds.

Kathy Cornish, NDP candidate in the upcoming provincial election, heard the news minutes before speaking with the Times-Journal.

"Canada's lost a great leader and a great person today. He was a person that just truly cared. To me, Jack, he just, he would welcome you with open arms. I'm sorry, I don't what else to say."

Full story in Tuesday's Times-Journal