CAITLIN DECARIE
NEWS REPORTER

Jack Layton stood with what seemed to be perfect health.

Other than a small limp and a cane, his confidence and poise were obvious.

I was expecting more signs to point to his recent hip surgery and battle with cancer.

Layton addressed a crowd of 200 supporters at the Wychwood Barns, a streetcar repair shop in the Hillcrest neighbourhood of Toronto that has been transformed into an art and community centre.

The rally started 45 minutes late.

Whether that was because the barns were empty at 4:30 p.m. – the scheduled start time – or that Layton was not in sight, I’m not quite sure.

The campaign team asked people with signs to move behind the stage so the room could at least look full on TV. I politely declined the offer a few times and I got to stay where I was.

Gradually, a predominantly Caucasian crowd filled the barn.

Layton took the stage in front of an overbearing Canadian flag after handing his cane to a campaign team member.

He had the mix of both young and old supporters cheering from the start.

“We have a strong team here…and I have a feeling that at the end of this election I’ll see many of these faces in Parliament when we kick Stephen Harper out of office.”

Chants of “NDP, NDP, NDP” erupted from the crowd.

Upon entering the barns, everyone was draped with pins and signs – all bright New Democrat orange – that said Jack Layton NDP or Canadian Leadership.

A few ‘left-wing pinko’ buttons from Toronto’s mayoral campaign race also caught my eye.

“Ottawa is broken and it’s time for us to fix it,” said Layton.

Layton spoke about Vera, a senior right here in Toronto.

She had to turn down her heat over the winter because she could not afford to pay her bills.

Layton emphasized that a New Democrat government will stand behind seniors unlike the current Harper government, which he said has left seniors shivering during the winter months.

Layton stood strong and tall during his speech but immediately looked for his campaign member with the cane before making his way down the stairs off of the stage.

With many more rallies in the lead up to the May 2 election yet to come, it seems Layton isn’t willing to let his health take a lead in his campaign.