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Jack Layton biography 1

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NDP leader Jack Layton has an impressive resume and many accomplishments in his 20 years of government service. I had the pleasure of meeting him this past summer. Layton is clearly the one contender who has more substance in his ideals and has an impressive track record for following through and getting the job done.

Born in Montreal on July 18 1950, Jack holds a Political Scicence degree from McGill University. He obtained a PhD in foreign investment and public policy at York University in 1984. Over the years his jobs included a city councellor, a University Profressor, the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the chair of the Toronto Board of Health, an author and a small business owner.

Layton helped spur the most innovative projects the city has seen in a generation:

  • Canada’s first municipally-sponsored AIDS strategy, which became a nationwide model.
  • Deep lakewater cooling of downtown office buildings, celebrated by environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr.
  • The Healthy Cities model, adopted by the WHO and emulated in cities around the world.
  • The White Ribbon Campaign, which became a global movement of men speaking out against violence against women.
  • The first urban wind turbine in Canada, cooperatively owned – and generating enough clean electricity to light 250 homes.
  • The largest building renovation project in Canadian history, the Better Buildings Partnership, which paid for energy retrofits through future energy savings.

Layton clearly has put his ideas into action in his 20 years working for our government and for the people. He believes that protecting our planet can create jobs, and he has proved this in the projects above.

*Notes: This is not an advertisement. The NDP is not giving me kickbacks for posting this. Most information came from Jack’s biography on the NDP website. I plan to profile the other candidates at some point before January 23rd as well.

One comment on “Jack Layton biography

  1. iBrett Dec 18,2005 8:50 am

    Nice one, Jim. You should read Layton’s latest book – Ideas that work for Canadians – if you haven’t already. I suspect you’ll enjoy it.

    b.

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