The Danish Club, History

Jan (Øyvind) Eisenhardt, Major (Ret'd) O.C., C.M., C.D.

On December 26,2004, Jan Eisenhardt sadly passed away, after a brief illness, almost 99 years old. 'I'll die before 1 feel old' he told a group of students not long ago, and he did!

He never stopped thinking ahead and planning, and to the end his mind was subtle and his sparkling humor intact.

I know with certainty that my parents were literate because only someone who had read (Bjømstjeme Bjønson's) 'En glad Gutt' could have saddled me with the name 'Øyvind". (Opening sentence of Jan's 'Boyhood Memories', printed in the 2004 Conference Year -book of the Danish Federation.)

Jan was born in Hjørring on April 24, 2006. From here the family moved to Njørre Sundby and Aalborg and subsequently to Copenhagen. It seems that from his early boyhood, Jan took to sports like a duck to water. So instead of an academic career, or apprenticing in his father's business, Jan decided -with his parents' support - to pursue Sports and Recreation, and was sent to Lycee Clemenceau in France, at the age of 16.

Back in Denmark, he underwent further career training and in 1928 Jan decided it was time to try his wings abroad. He arrived in Canada, 22 years old, and found employment at the Vancouver Parks Board, and subsequently as its Supervisor of Playgrounds.

As the Great Depression deepened, Jan began to develop and then headed up 'Pro-Rec', B.C.'s new Recreation Program.

Long before the Universal Declaration (on Human Rights), he worked assiduously to provide sports and recreation to all people as a matter of basic right. During the early years of the Depression, as director of parks in Vancouver, he restored a sense of hope to thousands of homeless men and women who rode the rods to that city, by providing havens and sports programs for them in public parks. That accomplishment led to his appointment as the founding director of a provincial program, B.C. Pro-Rec, the most creative, accessible and female friendly recreation program in Canadian history. BC Pro-Rec set up free recreation centers wherever there was interest, and trained local leaders to conduct a wide range of programs in them, not just sports. Women constituted the majority of leaders and participants.

By the end of the Depression in 1939, BC Pro-Rec was serving more than 27,000 registrants with 143 staff in 155 centers throughout the province

While still in charge of the Pro-Rec program, Jan Eisenhardt was also working as consultant to the 'Youth Employment Committee' of the 'National Employment Commission' -and in 1936 became involved in and influenced the development of program to train unemployed young people. In 1939 the Federal Government asked J an Eisenhardt to develop and organize a fitness regimen for Canada's military.

Eisenhardt's speeches and articles were cited in numerous publications -and when the National Council on Physical Fitness was established in 1944, Jan Eisenhardt, now Major Jan Eisenhardt, was hired as National Director of Physical Fitness.

After World War II, Jan Eisenhardt became involved at the international level at the United Nations, where he worked (with, among others, Eleanor Roosevelt) to include parks and recreation centers in the plans for postwar construction. Later he was assigned for a period to UNESCO in Paris, and subsequently returned to Canada, to take on the position of Supervisor of Physical Education and Recreation, Indian Affairs Branch.

Always vocal about his beliefs and not shy of speaking out, even against his own government's short comings if or when necessary, he annoyed many bureaucrats and others, and eventually became the subject of a 'security investigation'. Something called a 'Security Panel' (a Canadian version of McCarthyism) cited Jan Eisenhardt as an 'UN-CANADIAN' and he was fired as a' security risk', kept under police surveillance, and blacklisted with future employers. Despite repeated efforts to find out, he was never told what the charges against him were.

(The story of Jan Eisenhardt's blacklisting was eloquently told in the National Film Board film, 'The un-Canadians ' in 1996 and gave Jan an opportunity to relate how he quickly went from high-profile civil servant to being thrown out on the street. And how, when asking a subsequent employer (Canadair), why he was being laid off shortly after being hired, he was told: 'You got more enemies in Ottawa than friends' .)

After 23 years as a public servant his career was finished. -He was down, but not yet out. He found work running sports facilities in La Teuque, Quebec, and somewhat later became an agent with the Dominion Life Insurance Company.

It took many exhaustive attempts to finally have Jan Eisenhardt rightfully exonerated after the many hardships he and his family had endured.

In 1999, J an Eisenhardt was recognized nationally for his contributions to Canadian sport and physical activity. In March of that year he was awarded a special 'Citation of Achievement' by Sport Canada for his 'significant contribution to the development of sport and recreation in Canada', his 'visionary understanding of the value of sport and recreation' and his 'pioneering efforts in improving the health and well-being of Canadians'. -As Jan said afterwards: 'My long nightmare turned into a fairy tale'.

In 2001 the city of Vancouver, where he began his professional career, honored him as one of its Pioneers. (The event included not just speeches and dinners but, in keeping with Jan's commitment to physical activity, also a 4-km '1 Ran With Jan' run/walk, for young and old.)

And in 2004, Jan Eisenhardt received the title and degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws from Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, B.C., citing his outstanding public service through his leadership of the early efforts to promote physically active living, and assistance to the unemployed. And for his continued role model. (At least 5 people 0) have received their Doctorate Degrees based on work Jan did early in his career in British Columbia.)

Jan Eisenhardt was greatly concerned about children and the need to nurture a strong desire in them to keep fit by addressing them where ever possible, and by his own example. In 2001 he organized a 100 day 'Walk from Montreal to Ottawa', involving hundreds of children. And in 2003 Jan took on a cross-country tour, with stop -overs in 11 cities, to address thousands of kids and promote fitness. -And these are only some examples of his attempts to get his message across to a new generation. When others would cease their struggles, he just kept pushing on.

A few years back Jan Eisenhardt ran for mayor of the City of Dorval ... when it appeared that no one else was going to oppose the incumbent. A bit tongue in cheek, perhaps, but he made the very valid point that the democratic process would be poorly served by an automatic re -election of the mayor, without opposition. -He didn't win, but he raised a number of important issues and, at 95 and outspoken, he was the darling of the press.

Though an outstanding Canadian, Jan was also, in his heart, a true Dane. He was a co-founder of Dansk Canadisk Selskab (Danish Canadian Society) in Denmark, a recipient of Christian X's Fortjenstmedalje, and visited Denmark many times, often to participate in some sorts event (such as Ermelundsl¢bet or the inauguration 'Half Marathon' across Øresund), always creating good publicity for his adopted country in the process.

How sad that he is gone now, the warrior. He escaped so many scrapes that we tended to think of him as invincible. How we shall miss his contagious high spirits, his joking, his Danish-ness, and his sense of what is worthwhile in life.

Den Danske Klub, of which he was a Lifetime Member, had his special affection. He was always keenly involved ... at the summers' soccer matches or at meetings.

Jan was president of Den Danske Klub for a number of years and wrote the Club's history. And at almost every meeting he had something important to say, spiced with humor, but with a clear message.

At one of the last meetings he attended, he spoke about the future and his dreams for Canadian Youth and was awarded with a spontaneous, standing ovation!

Jan would regularly contribute material to 'Krøniken'. A cutting from him that wasn't printed at the time appears to reflect his own philosophy:

DO IT ANYWAY

* People are often unreasonable, illogical and self -centered. --Forgive them anyway.

* If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. --Be kind anyway.

* If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. --Succeed anyway.

* If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. --Be honest and frank anyway.

* What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. --Build anyway.

* If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. --Be happy anyway.

* The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. --Be good anyway.

* Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. --Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Ære være hans minde !

Knud Petersen "Krøniken"

Montréal

Denmark