Today is a sad day for all Canadians.  The death of Jack Layton hit us all hard: we all work each day to make Canada better; we all work to ensure that there is positive change in our great country and that the change created serves all Canadians. This sadness is not about politics, it is not about ideology, and it is not about partisanship.  Whenever someone, who is willing to stand up with respect for their opponents and debate the important issues of the day with passion and thoughtfulness, ceases to do so - we all feel the loss.  To me that is what Jack Layton stood for.  He gave voice to the voiceless, he stood up and spoke on behalf of the most vulnerable Canadians, and no matter what party you belong to, or if like me you belong to no party at all, you must realize that an amazing Canadian voice for equality was lost today.

For those of us who care deeply about poverty and work tirelessly to banish it from Canada, there can be no doubt that our jobs became a little harder today; but in my view they became all the more important. Jack’s strong voice in Ottawa could always be counted upon to raise the issue of poverty and ensure that the voices of Canadians living in poverty were heard.  He was a giant, and his shoes are too big for any person to fill alone; we all must work together to fill the void left in the Canadian political discourse today.

In this time of sadness for the loss of a Canadian who inspired hope, we can honour him in no better way than to carry on his passion for this country and for continuing to work towards a country that is great for all. As Jack said himself in his letter to Canadians, released today after his death, “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.“

Dan Meades

Director, Vibrant Communities Calgary