August 26, 2011

BUFFALO, NY/FORT ERIE, ON – The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Peace Bridge Authority) announced today that the Peace Bridge will be illuminated in honour of the life, works, and civic advocacy of Canadian statesman Jack Layton.

August 26, 2011

BUFFALO, NY/FORT ERIE, ON – The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Peace Bridge Authority) announced today that the Peace Bridge will be illuminated in honour of the life, works, and civic advocacy of Canadian statesman Jack Layton.

The span will be lit in orange – the official color of the New Democratic Party – on the evening of Saturday, August 27, 2011, between 9:00 p.m. (EST) and continue until 1:00 a.m. (EST) the following morning.

Jack Layton was a Member of Parliament representing portions of Toronto from 2004 until his passing at age 61 on August 22, 2011. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor. Jack Layton was also the Leader of the Official Opposition, a position he assumed after leading his party to historic gains in the recent Canadian national elections. A state funeral is also being held in his honor.

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, a binational authority, has owned and operated the Peace Bridge since 1933. The bridge, which was opened to traffic in 1927, spans the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, and is a key international border crossing. The Authority is governed by a 10 member board with an equal number of representatives from Canada and the United States.

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