Canada bids farewell to popular opposition leader

Tens of thousands of people gathered here on Saturday in Canada's largest city to say farewell to Jack Layton, leader of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) , after days of outpouring of grief over the untimely loss of a politician that inspired many as a champion of the under- privileged and a symbol of optimism and honesty in public life. Layton succumbed to cancer in the early hours of August 22, a month after he stepped down as the NDP leader with a promise to return to Parliament Hill when the legislature reconvenes on Sept. 19. On Saturday afternoon more than 20,000 people lined the streets of Toronto as Layton's casket was moved from Toronto City Hall to Roy Thomson Hall, applauding and cheering when the hearse passed by. Layton's widow, Toronto MP (Member of Parliament) Olivia Chow, his children Sarah and Mike, a Toronto City Councilor, and other family members walked behind the hearse. Acknowledging the depth of public affection for Layton and the grief sweeping many parts of the country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper broke with tradition and ordered a state funeral for Layton, which has been reserved for prime ministers, governors general and sitting cabinet ministers. Layton's casket has been placed in Ottawa for two days before being transported back to Toronto Thursday evening. On Friday and Saturday morning, mourners continued to stream into the City Hall to pay their respects, while many left remarks on an impromptu memorial wall in front of City Hall. About 2,300 attended Layton's funeral for Layton inside Roy Thomson Hall in downtown Toronto. Among those paying respects were Prime Minister Harper, the governor general, former prime ministers, other dignitaries as well as family and friends. Six hundred members of the public were admitted to the service, while many others watched the funeral proceedings on large TV screens at several locations in the city, a stronghold for the progressive causes Layton championed in his life. Governor General Johnston called the service a time to " celebrate a remarkable life of leadership." "It is so important in our system to have a clear and passionate voice for the ordinary person, and Mr. Layton was that person," Johnston said on CBC TV when arriving for the funeral. "He was a lovely, lovely man, filled with laughter and commitment," said Stephen Lewis, former leader of the Ontario NDP and former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, in his eulogy to vigorous applauses from the audience. Layton's death on Monday, at age 61, came as a shock to the country following the NDP's historical win of 103 seats in Parliament, precipitating a historical realignment of the Canadian political landscape. The victory propelled the NDP to the official Opposition for the first time in Canadian history. The May election also saw the Conservatives win its first majority since the early 1990's and, in a seismic shift, banished the Liberal Party, formerly the natural governing party of Canada, to near oblivion. "Jack Layton will be remembered for lifting the NDP's fortunes from their low point in the 1990s to the party's unprecedented breakthrough in 2011 by winning the majority of seats in Quebec and leapfrogging over the Liberals to become the official Opposition party in Parliament," commented Nelson Wiseman, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Layton's personal charisma and popularity fueled his party's success. Aided by his trademark cane, acquired after a hip surgery earlier this year, Layton tirelessly campaigned and drew many to the NDP with his telegenic smiles, optimism and his calls for civility and honesty in public life. Despite his everyman image, the NDP leader came from a family of political traditions: both his grandfather and father had been federal cabinet ministers. Layton was born in Quebec but spent his adult life in Toronto, getting a doctorate in political science before cutting his political teeth in municipal politics. He was known as a relentless advocate for the environment, equal rights for women, gays and other minorities; better benefits for seniors and low-income people; and the homeless. After two decades on the Toronto City Council, which saw a failed bid for the mayoralty, Layton was elected leader of the NDP in a surprise win in 2003 and in the following year, a Member of Parliament representing a downtown Toronto riding. Layton continued leading the same causes on the federal political scene and became known as "a man of the people". Among the political class, Layton was admired by ideological friends and foes alike for his unwavering vision for his party, his political acumen, and his uncanny ability to reach out to a wide swath of Canadians. In the May election, Layton's personal appeal led the NDP to sweep through Quebec, crushing the separatist Bloc Quebecois and electing a majority federalist MP's in the francophone province for the first time in nearly two decades. After the election, Layton, as the official Opposition Leader, became the symbol of a galvanizing force uniting those Canadians opposed to the Conservative Party, which clinched its majority with 40 percent of the votes. Layton's death at the pinnacle of his career and his party's fortunes pose serious questions for the party's future as well as the direction Canada will take under an ascending Conservative majority against weakened, leaderless opposition parties. "The NDP's future prospects depend much on the party's ability to hold its Quebec base, the evolving economic situation, and the popularity of the governing Conservatives," said Prof. Wiseman. "If Conservative popularity declines dramatically by the time of the next election, in October 2015, and as it did before the 1993 election, the NDP will be well positioned, as the Liberals were in 1993, to form the next government. "In the short term, Stephen Harper's commanding position is reinforced," he predicted. With the NDP regrouping after the sudden loss of its leader, the Liberals seeking to rebuild and return to its former glories, and the Bloc Quebecois a shadow of its former self, the Conservative majority will encounter little encumbrance in implementing its agenda in the next four years.