State funeral will be held for Layton

Posted Aug 22, 2011 10:08 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

There will be a state funeral for Jack Layton.

The honour is usually reserved for Prime Ministers, Cabinet members and Governors General, but Prime Minister Harper has exercised his discretion to offer a State Funeral for the Opposition leader.

The Prime Minister’s office says Canadians will have an opportunity to salute Layton’s contribution to public life as well as offer their heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers.

The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

The NDP says 61-year-old Layton died peacefully at 2:45 a.m. Calgary time at his Toronto home, surrounded by family and loved ones.

The party issued a statement Monday morning, just weeks after a gaunt Layton held a news conference to announce he was fighting a second bout of cancer.

Condolences are pouring in, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper issuing a statement saying he is deeply saddened by Layton’s passing. Harper says Layton gave his fight against cancer everything he had — saying he never backed down from any fight. Harper says on behalf of all Canadians, he salutes Layton’s contribution to public life.

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