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Mike Layton remembers his father

Wednesday city council convened for the first time since Jack Layton’s death, and marked his passing with a condolences motion and speeches from councillors who knew and worked with him over his influential career in city politics.

Councillors of all political stripes wore orange ribbons for the day, and their tributes to Layton were a testament to the extent he shaped our current city government. Most poignant was a speech delivered on the chamber floor by his son Mike Layton, the first-time councillor who is now embarking on a political career of his own.

Mayor Rob Ford: “Eleven years ago I had the privilege of sitting beside Jack Layton … He told me ‘Rob, we may not agree on many things,’ and I don’t think we did. But I had the upmost respect for Jack for teaching me the ropes, and giving me the confidence to stand up and say what I believe.”

Councillor Gord Perks: “Colleagues, I know sometimes I wear you out. I want you to know it’s Jack’s fault. I never intended to enter public life. But in 2005 I got a call from him … Thank you very much Jack, for bringing me here.”

Councillor Joe Mihevc: “Toronto is better, and we are better, for having Jack pass through our lives.”

Councillor Mike Layton:

First of all, thank you. Thank you to all Torontonians who showed such an outpouring of love and support. Thank you to my colleagues on council, to our city staff and to my staff, who worked late and volunteered their time to ensure the memorial was so special.

Thank you also to Mayor Ford for making certain the doors of city hall were open to all who wanted to pay their respects, and together with Councillor Fletcher, for the condolences motion.

To my neighbours in ward 19, and to all the residents of Toronto, on behalf of the entire family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Around every turn in the halls of this building and across our city, I’ve been met with kind words, thoughtful letters or emails, fond stories of Jack’s accomplishments, recollections of special moments shared in hallways, at pubs, at public meetings or in committee rooms, always followed by a much appreciated handshake, or more often, a hug. For all these private moments you have shared with me personally, thank you all so very much.

And please don’t stop. I will never stop enjoying hearing those memories.

Our family has been overwhelmed by the love and support and condolences that have been shown by everyone in our city and across our country. This has helped us immeasurably over the past difficult weeks. Words cannot express our gratitude. Your kindness to us will never be forgotten.

Thank you to the thousands upon thousands of people who contributed to the wonderfully fabulous public art in Nathan Philips Square. Your spontaneous creativity and your kindness transformed this frequently apathetic building into an inspiration to all Torontonians and a symbol of hope for our present and our future.

My family was moved by your commitment to commemorating Jack’s life and work. The square truly was the most resilient celebration of his life – growing stronger, brighter, and larger after each rainfall. The outpouring of support demonstrates the commitment to Jack’s accomplishments is shared by the people of Toronto.

We’ve heard about many of Jack’s accomplishments during his time at city council. Jack worked closely with many of you to create so many of the things that make us love this city and keep us optimistic for what it can become. One of my first memories of political life was at the Citizens for Safe Environment rally in 1980. I couldn’t have been more than 10, or even 10. We were demanding that an incinerator that had been emitting deadly toxins in this community for decades be shut down and that the city rely on the three R’s instead for waste diversion, a novel approach at the time.

We won, and that accomplishment resulted in the blue box system, leading our city to become a model for recycling and waste diversion. Then we fought to reach the 25 per cent diversion goal, a goal we’ve long since surpassed. Today we are working towards 70 per cent diversion of our waste from landfill. With continued support for the green bin and the many Toronto Environment Office programs, I believe this is attainable.

One of Jack’s passions was ensuring housing was affordable for all. He played a key role in the creation of affordable housing in Toronto. While a councillor he worked to designate a portion of the railway lands for new affordable housing, and as an MP he worked to secure federal funding make this diversion a reality. When 510 Bremner Blvd opens in late 2012, it will be home to some 1,100 people in 427 homes, including 166 three-bedroom homes and 48 four-bedroom homes on the lower floors. Jack believed strongly in our city’s commitment to affordable housing helping to build healthy communities and ensuring families have homes.

As chair of Toronto Public Health, Jack championed initiatives such as establishing the Environmental Protection Office in 1987 linking the environment with public health, facilitating the creation of the Toronto Food Policy Council to help promote food security, and importantly, in 1988, the creation of grants for community groups to develop programs to help prevent HIV/AIDS.

Jack was a strong environmentalist. He was a founding member and chair of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, a city agency celebrating its 20th anniversary. He was proud to have built a new model for financing projects that brought environmental and economic sustainability to our city, a model now emulated in other municipalities. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund continues to save the city money, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and support local entrepreneurial businesses at zero cost to our city.

Jack wouldn’t want us to get stuck harking back on his life for too long. He would want us to focus our attention in this chamber, focus our attention on building a truly great city, a just city, a hopeful city, a loving city. He would want us to use facts and not threats. He would want us to use vision and not fear as the driving force for change. He would want us to set a new tone. He would want us to break down the barriers that are clouding our judgment and focus on getting things done right.

While Jack lived much of his life under a bright orange banner, many of you know his true passion was building consensus across political lines. Building, not tearing down. The new tone I think Jack would want us to take would allow for different views to be respected while facts frame debates, not personalities. The tone would have all members of this chamber voting in the best interest of their residents and ourr city, and nothing more, without fear of retribution.

I ask that we work tirelessly together to realize this ideal model, that we work together to build a city that leaves a legacy so that we can be remembered as Jack was and will be. I would also suggest that the outpouring from the public was a message to all politicians that we need to work to build this city because the people will be behind us. Let us not settle for mediocrity, mediocrity that ends up dismantling what is good about our city.

Hope is better than fear. Thank you very much.

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