Jack Layton has been tired lately.

Rosemary Barton

If you ask him, he'll deny it, but take it from me, he's tired. Frankly, so am I. The pace of his campaign is fast. Has been from the beginning, continues to be now, even at the end.

Consider this: since last Friday we have been in the following places: Montreal, Iqaluit, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, St. John's, Thunder Bay and Vancouver.

Tonight, we head to Edmonton.

But back to the fatigue and consequences thereof: Layton's speeches have been a little tedious, his French a little bumpy, his catchy lines less frequent.

But tonight, a sign of life.

At a town hall rally in Courtenay, Layton worked the crowd. He seemed to thrive off the questions and the applause.

And his best line of the night?

When asked about health care, Layton launched into his plan to train doctors and nurses.

And then to illustrate how bad the health-care system is now, he said, " If I ever have a heart attack, I want to have it in a taxi."

Maybe he had a nap, or a workout, or a coffee. Maybe the slipping polls have got him moving again.

Tonight Jack was back —to his old self.

—Rosemary Barton