UNews - Donor

Making a case for generosity

trevor.kenney — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:12:39 +0000

In 2010, the partnership of Davidson and Williams LLP gathered around a board table. The law firm was celebrating its 125th anniversary, and the discussion revolved around how best to commemorate the occasion. With a group of highly skilled lawyers completely at ease in the art of debate and persuasion, the conversation could have been lengthy and fraught with controversy. The reality however was the exact opposite.

U of L student Alvin Lee is looking at eventually becoming a surgeon.

“We knew we wanted to mark the occasion by making a substantive commitment to our local community. That commitment had to be to something we all valued and believed in,” recalls Kristin Ailsby (BA ’96), a lawyer and partner at Davidson and Williams. “When we contemplated the common thread among every lawyer who practiced at our firm over the 125 years, it was obvious. Education was the shared priority for every single one.”

The verdict was reached quickly and unanimously: an award would be established to support students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“We have the privilege of serving the public as lawyers, and it truly is a privilege. We haven’t lost sight of the fact that we’ve acquired that privilege in large part because of our post-secondary education. We simply wanted to facilitate access to education and give students the means to have the same sort of meaningful rewarding careers we have,” says Ailsby.

Choosing the U of L was a natural fit – all but one lawyer at Davidson and Williams is a U of L graduate. Named in memory of a former colleague and respected judge, the Honourable Lawrence David Maclean, Q.C. Memorial Award for Service, gives $1,000 to a second-year student in the Faculty of Arts & Science. An endowed fund, the award will be available to students in perpetuity. In addition, after being selected, the recipient can continue to receive funding every year until graduation.

Deciding on the criteria for the award came just as easily. In keeping with the values the firm holds, the scholarship would be given to a student with strong roots in southern Alberta, and grade point average would not be as important a requirement as community service.

“We wanted to make sure students acquired knowledge through practical experience, not only through their formal education. They’ll be stronger, better students if they’re involved in their community,” explains Ailsby.

It’s that philosophy that has shaped Alvin Lee, a third-year biochemistry student at the U of L. Lee was the first recipient to receive the award in 2012 and received ongoing support this past year. Involved with the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Blood Services, as well as several campus clubs including iGEM and Rotaract, Lee devotes countless hours to others.

Scholarship winner Alvin Lee, fourth from left, with lawyers from Davidson and Williams LLP, including (from left) Matthew McHugh, Kristin Ailsby, Steven Florendine, Jim Taylor and Deirdre McKenna. Richard Davidson and Herb Beswick were not available.

For Lee, a student with ambitious goals of eventually becoming a surgeon, receiving the award was a huge relief.

“Aside from the academic pressure associated with trying to get into medical school, there’s always the financial matter in the back of my mind,” says Lee.

Lee’s parents were forced to emigrate from Cambodia during the Vietnam War, and seeing them struggle in a foreign country has shaped him profoundly.

“Because of my parents' language barrier, they were denied access to education, so I feel it’s a blessing to have this opportunity to improve our quality of life,” he explains. “But I feel like I’m carrying that burden and stress to try and achieve as much as possible, so that I can in turn help them. That’s why this scholarship is really helpful. It allows me to relax from those ideas and focus on my ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.”

For those at Davidson and Williams, Lee’s story brings their gift full circle.

“How does it feel when we look back at our decision to create this award? It feels just right – that we achieved exactly what we set out to do,” reflects Ailsby. “The best case scenario is that the award would continue to go to someone like Alvin – someone who needs it, appreciates it and can use it.”

THE HONOURABLE LAWRENCE DAVID MACLEAN, Q.C.
June 30, 1927 – April 18, 2010

L.D. MACLEAN, Q.C., was known as a mentor to many – a man who gave freely of his time and knowledge. He practised law in Lethbridge until his appointment to the Supreme Court of Alberta, Trial Division in 1978. When he retired from the Bench at 75 he continued his legal career as senior counsel for Davidson & Williams LLP until he passed in 2010. The entire team at Davidson & Williams remembers him as an awesome, formidable force.

“L.D. was a boxer in university and that personality stayed with him his entire life. He had contagious energy, was a wise strategist, fierce advocate and principled person… Best of all, he wasn’t ever afraid to punch above his weight,” recalls Ailsby. “With his experience as a Queen’s Bench Justice, L.D. had all sorts of knowledge and ideas that he that he freely shared with us. He had a massive influence in our firm and inspired so many members of our team. And so it was that when he passed away, we knew we needed to name the award after him and his contributions to our clients, our firm and the legal community generally.”

Red Nose results speak to significance of program

trevor.kenney — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 18:46:22 +0000

Southern Alberta roads were much safer through the holiday season thanks to the continued presence of Operation Red Nose.

Another season of service wrapped up on New Year's eve as the Pronghorn Athletics-initiated program took to the roads to ferry partygoers home safely.

In this, the 19th season of Operation Red Nose at the U of L, a total of 641 volunteers contributed to the program providing 1,254 total rides home through the holidays. On New Year's eve alone, 49 volunteers assisted in providing 136 safe rides home.

Nationally, Operation Red Nose celebrated its 30th year of existence and welcomed its one millionth volunteer to the program. Since 1984, volunteers across the country have been helping to provide safe rides home to those who feel unfit to drive. How many lives have been saved as a result cannot be calculated but it is safe to say that Operation Red Nose has made a significant impact on communities throughout the nation.

Pronghorn Athletics extends an appreciative thank you to the many volunteers, sponsors and partners who assisted the 2013 Operation Red Nose campaign, as well as those who used the service and made donations to the program.

The 20th anniversary of Operation Red Nose in Lethbridge will be ready to take to the streets Dec. 5, 2014.

Ste. Marie gives to students in multiple ways

trevor.kenney — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 20:27:19 +0000

It was a typical morning on campus for Gerry Ste. Marie – a day much like many others when he’d stood in line at the cafeteria, pulled out his wallet and said to the cashier, “I’ll pay for hers too.”

Gerry Ste. Marie is one of the most recognizable, and approachable, faces you'll meet on campus.

The “she” in the story, standing in line behind Ste. Marie, is someone that he didn’t know. He’d actually never seen the young woman before and likely never would again. That didn’t matter to Ste. Marie, though – in fact, not knowing her was the whole point. Ste. Marie makes a fairly routine habit of treating strangers to breakfast or lunch – something he likes to do not for glory, but for the pure joy of giving.

“If you’ve never given out of the desire to simply give, you haven’t experienced one of the greatest feelings in life,” says Ste. Marie. “To contribute to someone who doesn’t know you, who has no way of paying you back or returning the favour, it fills you with happiness. I’ve felt it firsthand.”

Ste. Marie’s generosity doesn’t stop at the end of the cafeteria line. He’s been a contributor to the Supporting Our Students (SOS) fund for five years and sees his donations as an extension of his duties as a U of L employee.

“Caring for students is part of my job,” says Ste. Marie. “No matter what kind of work you do at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, if you’re employed here you’re taking part in the education of the world’s future leaders. I’m not goingto improve the world by inventing or discovering anything, but I can improve the world by helping these students.”

His role as a materials handling specialist has Ste. Marie out and about all over campus every day. When he’s not buying meals for others, you’ll often find Ste. Marie chatting with students, telling jokes and generally lifting spirits. He makes a point of volunteering for at least one convocation ceremony every year, partly because he loves being there, and partly because, for Ste. Marie, it’s a full circle moment.

“You see all of these young adults with expressions of joy, hope and anticipation. It’s a spectacular thing to watch,” says Ste. Marie. “In that moment, when students are enjoying their success, I know I’ve played a role in it. I’ve helped someone achieve their goal and I feel great about it.”

Ste. Marie decided to put the money he was spending on an underused gym membership toward the SOS fund instead. Other than the satisfaction he feels knowing that his dollars are being better spent, Ste. Marie says his contributions, though small, have a big impact.

“It’s the same as when I deliver a package on campus,” says Ste. Marie. “It might not be a very big delivery but it’s important to someone all the same, so getting it to them makes a difference. That’s what SOS does. If I can make even a small difference to one person through contributing to SOS, I’m all for it."

Gift launches Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage

trevor.kenney — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:17:36 +0000

Jim Coutts, a southern Alberta-based art collector, political advisor and philanthropist, has formally turned over his homestead property and a significant portion of his art collection to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

On Thursday, June 30, the U of L will formally recognize Coutts for his gift, and launch the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage, located on the more than 100-year-old property that once belonged to Coutts's grandfather.

Jim Coutts shares his homestead property with southern Albertans.

The gift, valued at more than $2 million, is comprised of a quarter section of land, the original homestead, extensive gardens and restored outbuildings, as well as more than 200 items from his personal art collection.

Coutts, whose homestead is located just east of Nanton, Alta., is the former secretary and advisor to two Canadian prime ministers (Pearson and Trudeau). He has travelled extensively and acquired art from around the world, with a large portion of his collection showing a clear western Canadian theme.

He purchased the homestead property in 1988 and has since rebuilt it with extensive gardens, restored farm buildings and plots of native grasses and other plants as a tribute to his family and their struggles as pioneers in a harsh prairie environment.

A noted art collector, Coutts gifted many of his most prized pieces to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"When you look at the place now with the gardens, grasses and trees and the beauty depicted in the photographs and paintings, that's one thing," says Coutts. "But for many years, for those who came first, it was a very difficult and painful place to live."

Follow this link to a flickr gallery of photos of the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage. Watch the video below as Coutts describes his connection to the land and his vision for the Coutts Centre.

The property is very much an expression of Coutts himself. The buildings are scattered across the land and include the original homestead; a chicken house, now a guest suite; a barn; and an old ice house and granary, moved from Coutts's mother's neighbouring property, and which are now used as artists' sanctuaries. Additionally, the landscaping and gardens are structured to welcome visitors and encourage exploration.

"Gardens really don't belong to you," Coutts says of his decision to donate the property to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. "You may as well make it a public place where people can come, freely wander around and experience it. It's your garden, but in fact, nobody really owns their garden. You create a garden, but it is there for everybody."

Coutts was born in nearby High River, but grew up in Nanton. "When you grow up someplace, part of you stays there and part of that place goes with you wherever you are," says Coutts. "Wherever I travelled I always thought of Nanton because it was where I was raised, and I always thought of the land, the prairies, the foothills and so I wanted to have some connection with it and that's why I came back."

"People say you can't go back -- you leave someplace, you really can't go back," says Coutts. "You can visit your parents or you can visit your friends but I've just been blessed because I've been able to come back, I've been able to be a part of the community and be here. I feel I belong here and this is part of me."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has asked Coutts to stay involved and to help in the future development of the property.

"The idea is it would be a centre for the visual arts, a centre for horticulture, a centre for prairie restoration and a centre for rural community development," says Coutts. "The development has been a partnership: a partnership with the gardeners, a partnership with the carpenters and the men and women who helped with the restoration, and it's a partnership with my neighbours."

Coutts had been pondering what might happen to the property in the future and, like the many relationships he has developed to create the property, wanted to find a suitable partner to help carry on the work he started.

"The people from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge were prepared to do exactly what I wanted," says Coutts. "They were prepared to keep it going. It was a continuum of what I started, what I was doing and what I wanted to see in the future."

The property enables the U of L to enhance the student experience in ways relevant to the goals and values described within the framework of a liberal education. "Treating the Coutts Centre as a living classroom, students, faculty and visitors will make use of the natural setting to study the history, artwork, ecosystems and geography associated with the area," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

"We are honoured to be entrusted with this incredible property and more than 200 works of art depicting the beauty of the prairie landscape," says Mahon. "As southern Alberta's university, we recognize the great responsibility we have to all those who call the prairies home."

Some of the artwork donated by Coutts has been displayed through curated exhibitions and publications, and objects from the collection have already been made available to students and faculty during the course of their study.

"We are very grateful to have Jim Coutts as a partner as we establish the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage, which will preserve and celebrate the diverse culture that is central to the spirit of the west," says Mahon.

"The opportunities this presents for our students, faculty and the southern Alberta community are extensive, and I know many people will look forward to learning in this remarkable location."

UNews - Donor

Making a case for generosity

Related Topics

Red Nose results speak to significance of program

Related Topics

Ste. Marie gives to students in multiple ways

Related Content

Supporting Our Students - Gerry Ste. Marie

Related Topics

Gift launches Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage

Related Content

Jim Coutts explores "home pain" and his artistic mission

Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage

Related Topics