“Jack Layton 1950-2011”
There is was. It whizzed by like all the other news through the news machine. It almost felt wrong, as if the world should have stopped for a second, a day, a month to breathe. CNN didn’t care, but why would they? The oilsands employees around me didn’t take much notice either. I wanted them to ground all the planes, shut of their cell phones and just watch.
I cried a few times that day.
To me, it seemed that in death, Jack Layton’s power and influence grew much larger than ever before. This made the loss all the more painful because he would no longer be here to wield that sword. It felt like I was discovering John Lennon’s discography on the day he was shot.
Going into the 2011 federal elections this past spring, I felt like the NDP wasn’t going to make any serious gains. I was hoping for a lot more seats, but realistically I felt like it was going to be the same old show. For that reason, I felt like the New Democrat Party needed some kind of change. I think a lot of people felt that way, whether they want to admit it or not. In the weeks to follow, I would photograph Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper at various stops along the campaign trail. I was fortunate enough to photograph Jack on three occasions.
The most notable difference between Jack and the other candidates was that he made himself extremely accessible to both the media and public. He was not afraid. Although I admired this about Jack, it also led to him being peppered with loaded questions and biased accusations from certain right-wing reporters. As much as I hated to see the media gang up on Jack, I knew he wanted it that way. He wanted everyone to know that he had nothing to hide and his platform was open to discussion. He wanted to work together with people and politicians alike to find the best solution to all our problems. I don’t know about you, but I find that to be an extremely appealing trait in someone running to be our next Prime Minister.
At first his honest and open approach didn’t seem to getting across to Canadians, but we all know how that election ended. Jack had managed to lift the NDP to historical highs, all by simply being real with people. Every speech Jack gave and all the public events I saw him participate in seemed very real and organic. Unlike that time Stephen Harper tried to pretend he was a factory worker and put the work gloves on backwards.
Jack was just being Jack… and people actually got that. When the dust settled I was shocked, but also overwhelmed with joy to see Jack Layton as the leader of the Official Opposition. It was just sweet enough to allow me to handle the reality of a Conservative majority government without moving to the Yukon for four years.
Like many Canadians, I was excited to see the NDP finally being taken seriously in mainstream media. No longer was Jack Layton to be dismissed as some left-wing pinko kook. He was the genuine article; a bona fide politician with a kick-ass socialist platform to boot. I was practically giddy with the thought that EVERYONE was going to have to listen to him talk his wonderful ideas for the next four years.
Then we lost him.
After spending his life fighting for the little guy and battling through some very serious health problems to garner the greatest political victory of his career, Jack Layton was gone forever.
It felt unfair. It felt cruel.
The picture in my mind of Canada’s future was looking pretty dark until I read Jack’s Letter.
Two things from that letter really stood out for me. The first was his iconic closing paragraph, which I think struck a chord with many people. The second was his absolute confidence in his team to take the NDP to new heights and effectively continue his legacy. The more I focused on that notion, the more I realized that Jack was right. Optimism truly is better than despair.
As someone who spends a lot of his time carrying out documentary photography that dwells in despair, this means I have some thinking to do.
I made the photograph below on Election Day in downtown Toronto. It was a rainy spring morning outside the Cecil Street Community Centre where Jack was scheduled to cast his vote in the election. Canadians from coast to coast were on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting to find out just how far the “Orange Wave” would make it into the House of Commons. You could really feel the tension in the air. By that point in the campaign, it seemed like Jack was getting as much or even possibly more coverage than the current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.
Part of me expected Jack to show up in an NDP tour bus or some kind of van or limo, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had simply decided to walk to the polling station with his partner Olivia and their family. Just like on his campaign stops, Jack was bright, positive and gracious to everyone in attendance. He paused to say hi to bystanders and answer a few questions from the media before heading inside the community hall to cast his ballot.
Because of fire code regulations, most of the media had to wait outside. When Jack and Olivia emerged from the building, they were practically mobbed by reporters, photojournalists and videographers. Microphones stretched out from tired arms as TV cameras played bumper cars in the back rows. Feet stood tiptoed on other feet and a hundred questions from many mouths cascaded upon Jack all at once.
You would think that after the intense demands of a national campaign, the onslaught of cancer treatments and that nagging, busted hip, Jack would no longer be in the mood to talk. After all, the campaign was officially and legally over. Despite all that, Jack was calm, serine and happy to talk to everyone. You could see the relief in his face. It was over. At one point, Jack leaned down to his granddaughter and said, “see Beatrice, that is what they call a ‘scrum.’” It was one of those historical moments that actually felt historical when it was happening.
That is when I made the picture you see below.
I knew it wouldn’t run in any newspaper because it didn’t show his face, but I had already covered the “safe” shots anyway. I didn’t know Jack personally, but I made this picture because this is how I saw him. Jack was a man who was always willing to give you his time, hear you out and offer some encouraging words. He was always interested and engaged in the dialogue – always willing to learn and teach. Jack Layton dedicated his life to creating the solution that would change the world.
I was going to drop off a print of the photo at his house after the election with a congratulatory note that mentioned some of the things I wrote above. Unfortunately, life got in the way and that never happened. Now Jack is gone and I am unable to attend his funeral because I am far away, pursuing work that I believe in. I hope that these words can at least do a small amount of justice to Jack’s legacy and how much I know we’re all going to miss him.
Jack's Back, Election Day, 2011, Ian Willms
"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.
All my very best,
Jack Layton"
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