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But it still wasn't enough. Yet once again, he picked himself up and took the lessons learned to created future victories. In this case, it took several years but Jack decided to seek his old municipal seat and from then on set his sights on the powerful Federation of Canadian Municipalities. This is the govern- ing body for all Canadian urban centres and is an ideal place to make contact with like-minded civic officials across the land. His goal was to become its president but, needless to say, coming from Toronto wasn't an advantage. Nevertheless, he succeeded building alliances everywhere. Riding a need for a new urban agenda, Jack and I became fast allies as The Star was also crusading for a "new deal for cities." We were, as the saying goes, in violent and vocal agreement. It would be on that same urban agenda that Jack used as a point of differentiation to ride to victory as the new national leader of the NDP in 2003. This time The Star endorsed him over the entrenched favorites as "high risk but the one to go with. He is the leader with a national focus who might - just might - be able to lead the stumbling party back to respectability." In between all this, Jack also showed up one day in my office with an innovative way to rede- sign the awkward and angular intersection of Yonge Street with Lakeshore Boulevard just north of the Star building. It never went anywhere, despite its virtue, But here was Jack as city builder trying out another new idea. Our final lengthy interaction came just last year when Jack unexpectedly called "to have a chat." Not quite sure what to expect, I was taken aback when he appeared with an ear-worn copy of a book I had written on the Arctic. His pur- pose was to discuss Arctic sovereignty in par- ticular, and the North, in general. He knew his stuff and for almost an hour we engaged fully. Then he left, now ever the gentle- man, with the quip "it seems you were ahead of your time on this one." It was only later I learned Jack had developed a practice of reaching out to academics, jour- nalists, policy geeks and ex politicos to glean insight on any issue. He would cold call and then show up - anxious to learn and debate. Still wanting to learn, it seems. Thus when Jack showed up last April for what would be his last ceremonial editorial board meeting seeking The Star's federal elec- tion endorsement, it was, to put it mildly, a vastly different character than the firebrand from the 80s. Reasoned, incisive, confident yet not brash, totally conversant on issues, in charge of the room, on the verge of an historic breakthrough in Quebec. Most of the faces in that room , sea- soned journalists all - had interviewed, seen or watched him many times before. But for the very first time, the words "prime ministerial" emerged. Ultimately Jack would garner that endorse- ment and go on to make history by becoming the first NDP Official Leader of the Opposition. The man who never stopped growing. The man who a country came to know as simply Jack. Quite an extraordinary story, indeed. John Honderich is chair of the board of directors of Torstar Corp. and a former pub- lisher of the Star. The Oakville Beaver has introduced a new blog, Field Notes from the Fun Times, this week on its website www.insidehalton.com. The blog is being written by Oakville resident Kelsey Parsons, who has embarked on a global long-term adventure. A recent graduate of the Carleton University journalism program, Parsons will be visiting Holland, France, Kenya, India, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. On the way, she will be spotting the "Big 5" on safari in Kenya, ringing in her 22nd birthday with several thousand other people at the Full Moon Party in Thailand, swim- ming with a pod of wild dolphins off the coast New Zealand, volunteering at an ele- phant sanctuary, and more. Some modes of transportation she will be taking during the journey include planes, trains, buses, boats, parachutes, cars, and bungee cords. Follow her journey and experience the world through the eyes of a native Oakvillian. Her first entry can be found at http:// www.insidehalton.com/blog/post/1058648. Introducing travel blogger Kelsey Parsons Continued from page 6 Remembering Jack Layton