UFCW Canada joined thousands in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square on August 22 to mark the one-year anniversary of Jack Layton's passing.

In keeping with the days immediately following Jack's passing last August, people covered the cement square outside of Toronto City Hall with colourful chalk tributes to the late NDP Leader and long-time social justice champion.

Building up to the one-year anniversary, activists and friends from across the country posted many heartfelt sentiments to a new website called www.dearjack.ca, which invites all to share their personal experiences with Jack and how his commitment to building a better, fairer Canada impacted our lives. Visitors to the Dear Jack website are also encouraged to post video messages, like the one National President Wayne Hanley shared on behalf of UFCW Canada members.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, who was in the square, called the day a “commemoration of someone extraordinary who brought a lot of positive messages to Canadian politics and to Canadians as a whole.

“That sort of sunny optimism, that message of hope is one we hope to build on,” added Thomas.