People from across the country, from all walks of life and from all political spectrums mourned the loss of Jack Layton this week.

Layton, leader of the Official Opposition NDP, passed away early in the morning on Aug. 22, only three weeks after stepping down to fight a new form of cancer. He had only recently returned from treating prostate cancer, and it saddened many that his latest treatment did not go as he had expected.

Layton will be remembered for many things, but for most Canadians it will be his personality and his dedication to public life that stand out. He was a great politician – whether you agreed with his politics or not – and it seemed that he was genuine in his belief of working for the public good. 

Condolences from politicians of every faction began pouring in within hours of the announcement of his death, saying that the loss of Layton is a loss for all Canadians.

NDP representatives have openly talked of their devastation at the news. In his eight years as leader of the NDP, Layton overhauled his party, brought peace to party disagreements and transformed the NDP into something more appealing and realistic to the average Canadian. Layton was the reason behind the most successful election in the history of his party. On May 2, about 4.5 million voted for the NDP, giving them the most seats they had ever had, many in Quebec, and vaulting Layton to the position of Official Opposition leader. The same victory nearly obliterated the Bloc Quebecois party.

He has been named as the politician most Canadians would want to sit and have a beer with, and his honesty – often in your face and loud – was something that connected to many Canadians, even those who would not vote NDP.

In keeping with his ability to personally connect to Canadians, Layton penned a letter in the days before his death. He was working for the public right until the end of his life.

His letter is poignant and very heartfelt, though it expresses the reality of the tough times ahead for his party. He urged the party to keep MP Nycole Turmel as interim leader until a permanent successor is chosen. Layton also suggested that his party hold an election “as early as possible in the new year ... so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program and move forward towards the next election.”

Layton addressed the many Canadians battling cancer, saying that each person must not lose their own hope. 

“You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future,” he wrote.

His letter, written in his own last hours, brings to light the idea that there are politicians out there that believe in their country and their duty to serve it – even while battling their own personal tragedies. Layton’s career reminds us that tenacity of the spirit is a powerful thing. His passing reminds us that it is important to have hope and optimism for the future.

His final words say it all:

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”