Jane grew up in Grimsby, Ontario, where she developed a love of sport through her involvement in playing hockey. She went on to study Sport Administration at Durham College, and later Universal Design and Environmental Access at Buffalo State University.
Jane started her career in the disability sector as Executive Director of the Canadian Blind Sports Association (CBSA). After seven years with CBSA, she joined the newly established Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (ALACD) as Executive Director in August of 1989. Jane led the organization for 34 years.
Throughout her career, Jane was committed to access and the inclusion of people with disabilities in physical activity, recreation, and sport. She firmly believed that leading a physically active life had a profound impact on a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. She knew these benefits led to greater social inclusion, employment readiness, and reduced loneliness. Jane was a tremendous champion of these beliefs.
Jane represented the ALACD at many tables. She was a member of: the Pan-Canadian Disability Coalition Leadership Group; the Niagara 2022 Canada Games organizing committee; ParticipACTION’s Advisory Committee; and Ontario’s Accessibility Standards Advisory Council/Standards Development Committee, to name a few. Further, her impactful work saw her travel to several Paralympic Games, including Calgary, Seoul, and Beijing in addition to championing federal accessibility legislation before the Canadian House of Commons.
Jane impacted the lives of countless people with disabilities, as well as people she mentored, or met professionally. Jane was highly respected by her peers. In 2013, Jane was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her contribution to disability issues in Canada.
She was known by her colleagues as a kind, and supportive “boss” who welcomed ideas, celebrated successes, treated challenging situations with humour, grace and sometimes a shrug of the shoulders knowing there were other ways of getting around a situation. She led quietly, supported enthusiastically and treated colleagues with respect and dignity. She was a champion and a loud voice but in a quiet way and never sought the spotlight.
Jane’s work at ALACD was the impetus for new organizations to be established and flourish. She created the awareness and laid the foundation for others to consider the importance of ensuring everyone, regardless of ability, had the same opportunities to be active. She always felt there was way more to be done.
Of course, in Jane’s eyes, her most important “job” and accomplishment was being a mom to her son (Evan) and daughter (Alli), in whom she took a vast amount of pride. Family was important to Jane, prompting her move back to Niagara a few years ago, where she would be closer to her siblings and their families.
We applaud Jane’s contributions to the inclusive physical activity, recreation and sport sector. We miss her and wish she would have known how much she influenced the sector and how much the sector has benefited from her service. The staff and board at ALACD will continue to champion her work in the years to come.