A police honour guard stands watch by the casket of Opposition Leader Jack Layton at Toronto City Hall on Aug. 25, 2011.J.P. MOCZULSKI
Jack Layton's ashes will be spread in three different locations – one in Quebec, honouring his birthplace and site of the NDP's political breakthrough, and two in his home city of Toronto.
The late Opposition Leader's principal secretary Brad Lavigne, who is also an honourary pallbearer at Saturday's state funeral, told The Globe a portion of the ashes will be planted with a memorial tree at the Wyman United Church cemetery in Hudson, Que., where Mr. Layton grew up.
There is a family plot at that cemetery, which includes his father, Mulroney cabinet minister Robert Layton, and his grandparents.
Mr. Lavigne said the family wanted to ensure there was a connection to Quebec because of Mr. Layton's roots and to recognize "the embracing of Jack by the Québécois over the last election."
Another portion will be scattered on the Toronto Islands, where Mr. Layton and Olivia Chow were married in 1988, and where a memorial tree will also be planted. The third portion of his ashes will be buried at St. James Cemetery in the city's downtown.
After graduating from McGill in Montreal, Mr. Layton moved to Toronto to do his PhD at York University, later teaching political science at Ryerson. He served for many years as a municipal politician and was elected as the MP for Toronto-Danforth in 2004.