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220 Randall Street Downtown Oakville Phone:905.842.2100 www.peterwatsoninvestments.com Helping You Make Smart Decisions About Your Money Peter Watson MBA,CFP,R.F.P.,CIM,FCSI Thank you for your support Gold Award Winner Best Financial Planner MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS www.cobb les tonembers .ca 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905-337-2066 rm up to Fall! 3 W ednesday, A ugust 31, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m I was just mingling with one of the other candidates there, having a beer, when a party staff member came over and said would you like to meet Jack? and brought me over, said Ede. Ede said he was very nervous when he first met his partys leader. Im here having a beer with Jack. It was a very impressive moment for me, but Jack was so down to earth, friendly and warm that I quickly loosened up and we just talked for like 20 minutes, said Ede. We talked about gradu- ate studies and political science, (since) we both (had) gone to York (University) for that. He gave me some great insights for my thesis, and also some excellent tips in terms of how to campaign effectively. We talked for what felt like a long time, but it was like talking to an old friend, rather than a big celebrity. Although he was very intelligent and well spoken, he just struck me as a normal decent human being, he added. The second time he met Layton was at an NDP fundraiser dinner in Toronto. It would also be the last time Ede would speak with him. He thanked me for running in Oakville and the last thing he told me was to finish my the- sis, which unfortunately, I continue to neglect, in terms of giving my time to the party, said Ede. Im sort of torn between following his advice and following his example. Oddly enough for Ede, his last encounter with Layton where they did not speak, was his favourite among them, he said. He was in Toronto for a candidate training session wait- ing in the hallway after Laytons speech. I dont think anyone noticed I was there, when Jack came out of the room with one of his assistants. The assistant was trying to get him to meet all the candidates as it was a really big deal for them, said Ede. Jack said nope, he was going to see his family and the assistant said, Jack this is really important for you to see the candidates, and Jack very simply said, grandchildren are more important, and he just walked off. He loved his family and was very important to him. I think the only thing that justified spending so much time away from them was the knowledge that he was fighting for a better life for all Canadian families, he added. Mulvale knew Layton because of a mutual friend. They would run into each other at wed- dings and funerals, she said. She also worked with Layton when he was president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in 2001. We have lost a great friend of the people who were marginalized and people who were in need, said Mulvale. He was fearless in stand- ing up in what needed to be said, and he was pragmatic enough to take incremental steps to the solutions, rather than just remain on the protest line. Layton served as the president of FCM and helped each representative in the provinces and territories come to a real bargaining posi- tion, so the money could flow, Mulvale said. Mulvale said Layton was not just a party member of the NDP, but also a partier. Every time the work was done, there would be a social outing and he would be there. He would work before, he would see every- body he needed to see and then he would be boogying, playing his guitar or dancing with Olivia, said Mulvale. Linda Jones, a member of the Burlington NDP Riding Association and Oakville District Labour Council, first met Layton in 2002 at the Ontario NDP convention in London where he was testing the waters to see whether people wanted him to run for NDP leadership, she said. I was a teacher of French in Oakville at the time, at an elementary school. I wanted to make sure that at the very least the qualifica- tions he had was the ability to speak French, said Jones. I finally cornered him and we started to have that conversation. I began French and he just murdered me. He was funny and certainly understood where I was coming from, and I was already inspired by him before I walked out of that room, she added. Jones heard Layton speak several times and always admired his passion. Every time he had us saying we can do it when we walked out that room, said Jones. We will certainly carry that forward, we can and will do it, and we will keep his legacy alive by doing that. Despite Laytons untimely death, Ede is optimistic for the future of the NDP and for the country. He touched many lives, whether or not people actually had a chance to meet him, his influence was tremendous, said Ede. His spirit and vision will live on (as) (we) keep working to fill his dream of a caring, sustain- able Canada. fOne of the final send offs was a reading o Laytons last letter addressed to all Canadians two days before his death. Read by Sprague, the letter elicited a teary-eyed and emotional reaction from many in attendance. My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and opti- mistic. And we'll change the world. All my very best, Jack Layton. A book of condolences made available at the vigil will be sent to Laytons family. Vigil speakers share fond memories of Jack Layton ERIC RIEHL/ OAKVILLE BEAVER CANDLELIGHT VIGIL: Charlene Hopkins lights tea candles spelling out JACK. 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