This newspaper mourns the death of Jack Layton, leader of the federal New Democratic Party and, like so many Canadians, taken too soon by cancer. He was 61.
Whatever you might think about NDP policy, Layton was everything you could want in a politician: hard working, forthright, and relentlessly optimistic.
That confidence was writ large in the recent election campaign. Battling cancer and recovering from surgery on his hip, Layton led his party from perennial also-ran to Official Opposition. It was a historic victory for a man who no one would have blamed for staying at home in bed. His cane brandishing and jig dancing are enduring images of a truly committed public servant.
His party's best-ever result was the fourth outing for Layton as its leader, each of which improved his party's standing until his claim to be running for prime minister didn't seem all that far-fetched anymore.
Layton's legacy will not only be resurgence for Canada's left. It will be a demonstration that cynicism and maneuvering are not the only paths to success in this country.
Layton's wins were never the product of swinging with the political winds. He always sold what he believed in, and eventually voters bought in.
Layton was far more interested in talking about his own ideas than tearing down those of his opponents. We hope that all our public figures, regardless of party, honour that memory.
"Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic," he wrote on his deathbed. "And we'll change the world."
