Layton’s lying-in-state starts early Thursday on Parliament Hill
The second day of public visitation for late NDP leader Jack Layton began Thursday morning at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The visitation was to start at 9 a.m. EST, but doors opened at 8:30 a.m. as a crowd of up to 100 people arrived at the House of Commons, where Layton’s casket is lying in state. According to the CBC, approximately 4,000 people visited Layton’s casket Wednesday. At 2 p.m., RCMP pallbearers will carry the casket to an awaiting motorcade, which will make a symbolic visit to Gatineau, Que., to acknowledge Quebecers support for Layton and his roots in the province, before traveling to City Hall in Toronto, where it will lay until his state funeral at Roy Thomson Hall on Saturday.