The Icelandic Canadian - 01.08.2006, Page 15

Vol. 60 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
57
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network, the
Neil Squire Foundation Mentoring
Program, Theatre Terrific Society; the BC
Civil Liberties Association, and the BC
Sports Medicine Council.
Bjarnason shares vintage oak-fur-
nished offices on the eighteenth floor of the
Marine Building with Emma Andrews, a
chic, petite lawyer from Honduras who
works in the areas of immigration, family
law and civil litigation. They met in a
Gastown office and found themselves
working together more and more often.
Out of that association was created
Andrews, Bjarnason, Barristers &:
Solicitors, Abogados (lawyers).
Here, Bjarnason—blue-eyed with
spiky blonde hair, dressed in a conservative
grey suit, white button-down shirt, neatly
patterned maroon necktie, old-fashioned
suspenders, and black lace-up brogues—is
involved in the preparation of wills, estab-
lishment of trusts, and estate planning. His
particular interest is assisting parents of
children with disabilities.
Some forty times a year, he climbs
behind the wheel of his silver grey 1997
Honda CRV and drives off to lead semi-
nars with such organizations as the Planned
Lifetime Advocacy Network, the Simon
Fraser Society for Community Living, and
the Burnaby Association for Community
Inclusion. He has lectured also at UBC, the
University of Winnipeg, and Langara
College. Sometimes he addresses groups,
other times he offers legal counselling to
individuals or couples. All of his time is
donated (although persons counselled later
may engage his professional services).
People come from all over the
province, especially areas with limited
access to expertise on disability issues.
They listen to Bjarnason intently, as he
explains the legalities of property transfers,
the structuring of discretionary and non-
discretionary trusts, benefits available to
persons with disabilities, and, ultimately,
how parents can provide for children with
disabilities through wills or trusts. Pat
Tesan of the Planned Lifetime Advocacy
Network, who has worked with Bjarnason
for the past four years, says "He's taught
me so much."
Bjarnason's History of the Winnipeg
Fire Department—a fascination he has
never lost—is en route to publication now.
It won't be his first work in print. With
Lynda Canned, he wrote Organizing
Events, published in 1999 by Canada Law
Books. In preparation is his Emergency
Services Encyclopedia. In addition, he has
written articles and chapters on planned
giving and estate planning, sport and sports
therapy liability, human rights and disabil-
ity issues, and Canadian firefighting histo-
ry. Recognizing these accomplishments, a
writer asks Bjarnason what his greatest
challenge has been. "Overcoming other
people's attitudes," he immediately
responds. "I can figure out how to over-
come any physical challenge, but in other
people's perceptions, I may be considered
‘retarded’ or 'incompetent' or not a real
person. A few years ago, going to New
York for a weekend, I was passing through
customs and the officer asked all the usual
questions. But then he asked "Where are
you going to stay? How will you pay for
that? Who'll take care of you?” He took
my wallet, counted all the cash, looked at
the credit cards, and started the questions
over again. “Where do you live in
Vancouver?” And finally, “Who baby-sits
you?” I took out my business card, slapped
it down in front of him, and said “I'm a
lawyer. And I'm not impressed.” There
were ten seconds of dead silence. Then he
said “Oh. Okay. Have a good trip.”
Besides cycling, hiking, weightlifting
and his various professional and volunteer
activities, Bjarnason may occupy himself
with photography, his collections of fire-
fighting memorabilia and more than 4,800
pins and buttons from around the globe, or
cataloguing jokes, on any subject from
taxidermy to terpsichore.
Asked his advice to parents who have
children with disabilities, he says, “Try to
get over the urge to be overprotective. It's
natural to want to protect children, but
allow them to develop their full potential,
to participate in the world." And his advice
to children who find they have been born
with what society regards as disabilities:
"Try everything. You'll find things you can
be great at."