The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2005, Page 17

Vol. 59 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
143
A great and humble man
by Tammy Axelsson
When I returned with my family to my
hometown of Gimli in 1995, I was fortu-
nate to have met Leo Kristjanson. At that
time, it would have been difficult not to
have met him as he was everywhere and
involved in everything and anything that
was a good and worthy cause.
Leo had returned home to Gimli with
his wife Jean, just a few years earlier. In
1989, he stepped down as president of the
University of Saskatchewan, just one year
before the end of his second five-year term
due to health issues related to Parkinson’s
disease. Leo was awarded the Order of
Canada, for the incredible impact he had
on life at the University during his time
there. He also received other notable hon-
ours for his leadership and vision, among
them are the Lieutenant-Governor’s medal
of the Institute of Public Administration of
Canada, an honorary Doctor of Laws
degree from the University of Winnipeg
and he was installed in the Saskatchewan
Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Getting to know Leo, and his brother
Larry, has been an education for me.
Watching them in action over the years,
with whatever project they may have been
working on at the time, was like watching
artists with a canvas. They set about a task
with single minded determination and sys-
tematically make it happen.
In my eyes, Leo was forever the
teacher. He overcame the obstacles of
Parkinson’s disease in a way that was
aweinspiring. The thought of giving in
never seemed to cross his mind, and if it
did, he never let on. I remember watching
him at work with a power drill, seeing him
climb the tiny spiral staircase to add finish-
ing touches to the Huldufolk attic and then
hopping into his truck and driving to the
lumberyard for more supplies. Simple
tasks for those of us fortunate enough to be
able bodied, but each one was a feat of
sheer willpower for Leo. The lesson he
taught every time he came out to greet a
new day, was one of strength, hope,
patience and boundless courage. Through
it all, his sense of humour was ever present.
I saw people who were at times taken aback
by his sheer presence, this very tall, kind,
man with Parkinson’s, disguised as a car-
penter. He would tell them he was the only
real “mover and shaker” in this town. He
always knew what to say to make others
feel at ease.
He loved his Icelandic heritage, the
language, folklore, history and stories of
this area and its people. He set out to
ensure that this rich and unique history
would always be proudly preserved and
presented to residents, former-residents
and visitors to Manitoba, and at that he has
succeeded. His influence can be seen
throughout our community, in the preser-
vation of the “Old School”, in the giant
chess board at the Leo Kristjanson
Friendship Garden, in the story of the
Huldufolk and their attic home he so
meticulously created. The Lake Winnipeg
Visitor Centre, the restoration of the
Unitarian Church, the New Iceland
Heritage Museum and the designation of
the Gimli Park Pavilion as a municipal her-
itage building, the list goes on and on. It
was at Leo’s initiative that the event of the
establishment of New Iceland was recog-
nized federally as a National Historic
Event.
He strongly supported the arts in the
schools and in the community. He was a
driving force in the establishment of the
Evergreen Band Boosters, a committee
organized to ensure the continuation of the
school music program in Gimli and
Winnipeg Beach when it was at risk of
being eliminated. The results of these
efforts speak volumes, the band program is
thriving and now has 250 students. The