When Jack Layton died in August 2011 there was a great outpouring of grief on Toronto Island. Jack and his wife and political partner, Olivia Chow, participated in the life of our community. They were married on Toronto Island, came to Island functions and paraded and danced in Shadowland’s Caribana entries.

And so it seemed only fitting after his death that we do something special to celebrate Jack’s contribution and at the same time find a way to express our loss. This book is the result. It is a collective effort by many Islanders. Through the photos and text, it attempts to express what he has meant to us.