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A foot soldier named Lynne


by Judi McLeod
April, 2002 She was the only person I knew who always answered the telephone in the wee hours of the morning. Inveterate reading made her a nighthawk for all of her life. Her innate knowledge of things medical was impressive. No matter what she was reading at the time of the late-night phone call, she always had time to hear problems and to dispense good solid advice.

Toronto District School Board parent fighter par excellence Lynne Lake was called home from her last battle to join Michael the Archangel on March 15, 2002. Her premature death at age 57 broke the hearts of all that knew her, daughters April and Katharine not the least of them.

April and Katharine's mom, working to keep board fatcats in line, was the first parent I met as a Toronto Sun education reporter.

It was Lynne more than any other who taught me all about the hypocrisy of the so-called party of the working man, the New Democratic Party (NDP), which then and now holds a stranglehold on our local school board.

Lynne didn't need NDP trustees to teach her the hallmarks of a humble and often poverty-stricken life; this was one foot soldier who strung her baby's diapers on a kitchen clothesline before getting herself down to the board's fractious meetings.

Her battlecry of 'teach our kids how to think not what to think' never ceased. While other frustrated parents eventually gave up on out-of-line board trustees, Lynne Lake was always there to take them on in the next round.

One of her earliest battles came when school board trustees joined up with then health board honcho Coun. Jack Layton on pronouncing head lice infestation in school children as a lifestyle rather than a health issue. Turning the tables in the inimitable Lynne Lake style, she led a group of parents with their lice-infested school children in tow down to a regular health board meeting, later coming up with the moniker, 'Jumpin' Jack Layton'.

Noting the pate de fois gras, scampi coffee break repast of latter day school board trustees, it was Lynne who forced them back to milk and cookies.

Lynne was front and foremost when a small clutch of single mothers turned up to protest at 78 Hazelburn, the taxpayer--subsidized co-op where Layton was living with his wife, then school board trustee Olivia Chow and his mother-in-law. Armed with a borrowed ghetto blaster repeatedly blaring the song, Hit the Road Jack, Lynne was elated when Layton told protesters he was moving out of Hazelburn and downright joyful when Layton was later swamped almost two to one by June Rowlands in that year's mayoralty race.

It was with emotional trepidation that I turned up at Lynne's funeral. Like many I have a phobia about attending the funerals of loved ones. Having already buried a husband and son in one lifetime and specifically asked to be there for the tragedies of George Chuvalo's wife and sons, I wanted to be a no-show. But my promise to be there had been made to a grieving April.

At the sad funeral service, I was heartened to spot Peter Worthington and wife Yvonne Crittenden two rows up. Having worked on Peter Worthington's bid for federal election in Broadview-Greenwood, Lynne lionized the spunky journalist. After the tear-filled farewells, Peter's impish grin took some of the pain away.

Lynne lived for daughters April and Katharine and was a doting grandmother to Megan. Elizabeth and Rebecca.

On earth, Lynne Lake was one person who made a difference. There are mercifully no bumperstickers in heaven. But on Lynne's new plateau with Michael and Company, they'll all be hearing about the necessity to teach our children how to think and not what to think.

April and Katharine can be proud to know that the passion of their mother, the foot soldier, lives on forever.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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