Ottawans remember icon at screening of biography

In Nancy Lendore’s Ottawa high school classroom, she has spent countless hours teaching about Nelson Mandela over the decades, hoping to inspire students.

But it was at home that she and her husband, who is from the West Indies, thought it particularly important to teach their five children about Mandela. A photo of the icon hung in the house for a while, his book sat on a shelf, and the family boycotted South African products like oranges during apartheid in the 1980s.

“His way of non-violence was one that we wanted to subscribe to,” said Lendore, 57. “As well for our kids, who have faced racism.”

She was driving Thursday when she heard on the radio that Mandela had died at 95 after a prolonged lung infection.

Lendore cried all the way home and was prepared for more tears hours later. She had tickets to an already scheduled screening of the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

“It feels like a pretty momentous occasion,” she said. “I brought lots of Kleenex.“

Earlier she emailed her children, now aged 20 to 31, because a “touchstone” from their family had died.

“They need those kind of role models,” she said. “I guess it’s up to the rest of us to carry the torch now.”

Others were inspired Thursday to begin learning about Mandela.

“He was a lovely humanitarian ... I’m excited to find out more about him,” said Jo Nuttall, who was in the audience at the screening hours after seeing the news of Mandela’s death on Facebook.

Nicole Greaves had been preparing for months for Mandela’s death, so rather than being upset on Thursday she was focused on applying his lessons to her life.

“As a Caribbean-Canadian, there’s a strong connection. Mr. Mandela has certainly inspired my entire life,” said Greaves, a 48-year-old healthcare practitioner.

She received her screening ticket because her admiration for Mandela is well-known among her friends. She saw him in Montreal after his release from prison, and in 2006, she went to South Africa and visited Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned.

“That made an even bigger impression on my life, to see that someone who has endured such hardship was able to overcome and not have any animosity,” she said.

But she said there’s still more to learn.

“His teachings of peace, love and justice,” Greaves said, “those are elements that I will continue to learn from.”