The death of NDP leader Jack Layton early yesterday morning shocked many British Columbians and those who knew him.
B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said he will always remember the one-on-one chats he had with the 61-year-old, who lost his battle with cancer.
“When Jack would come to town, he would phone me up and we would go for breakfast,” said Sinclair, who knew Layton for almost a decade. Losing Layton is a big blow to the whole country, he added.
“Jack didn’t believe it was about Jack. He believed it was about all of us.
“(He also) probably had the biggest Rolodex or BlackBerry phone book in the world because he was well-connected across the whole country, and that’s what made him great at what he did.”
Premier Christy Clark and Mayor Gregor Robertson also praised his tireless efforts to build a better Canada and sent out their condolences to Layton’s wife, Olivia Chow, and his whole family.
“He battled cancer with incredible dignity and the spirit of his work will live on through the many people he inspired as a leader,” Robertson said.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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