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Tom Hanson

We asked Globe and Mail readers for their thoughts on Jack Layton's legacy. This is what they had to say.

What do you think was Jack Layton's greatest accomplishment?What will he be remembered for?

Hands down, it had to be achieving the breakthrough for the NDP in Quebec. Not only was that a victory for his party, but more importantly, it portended new hope for the country as a whole. – Alice Funke, Ottawa

The ability to inspire NDP members, volunteers and voters before and during the 2011 election by using a positive and optimistic campaign rather than a negative attack campaign. When I carried a Together We Can Do This sign, I truly believed it. – Lynn Perrin, Abbotsford, B.C.

The letter he wrote to Canadians days before he succumbed to cancer will be remembered for years to come. He explicitly communicated his dedication and love for Canadians in that narrative. – Carmen McCrae, Saskatoon

I have great respect for Jack's beliefs, and on almost all social issues and many, but not all fiscal issues, we would be on the same page. His legacy, in my view, is that he is the one that put Stephen Harper in power. Instead of choosing to be be a strong influencer of a Liberal minority government, like Tommy Douglas with Lester B. Pearson and David Lewis with Pierre Trudeau, he chose to roll the dice, and go for the top. He failed to achieve this goal. – Earl Hotrum, Toronto

PERSONAL MEMORIES

He was a great guy … He remembered my name the second time we met even though we had just met once briefly at a fundraiser a couple years before. – Josh Easton, Victoria

Jack Layton died as I was flying home to care for my mother, who was also dying of cancer. As I spent the next several weeks as her 24/7 caregiver, the Maclean's magazine with Layton on the cover arrived in her building. I spent a long time reading the article and reflecting on how indiscriminate and cruel cancer is, and trying to embrace the positivity that these people propelled me toward, despite the circumstances. – Scott W. Gray, Verdun, Que.

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