��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ officially opens Penny Building

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:59:38 +0000

Named for a man who embraced education and served to continually better his community, the Dr. Foster James Penny Building will stand as a testament to lifelong learning and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's commitment to the Lethbridge community.

The U of L officially opened the Penny Building on Thursday, May 16, reenergizing the former Capital Furniture building and breathing new life into the city's downtown core. Gifted to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2012 by longtime businesspersons Jim and Hazel Penny, the building is named after their son Dr. Foster Penny, who passed away in 1992 after a five-year illness with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was only 44 years old.

"It's a wonderful memory for our boy," says Hazel Penny. "He would be so proud to see his name on a building pertaining to education. I can see him smile."

Dr. Foster Penny combined an unbridled zest for life with a kind heart, and always sought out ways by which he could learn more about the world around him.

"Foster said to me once, every time I pick up a book I want to learn everything that's in it," recalls Hazel.

Dr. Foster Penny completed a bachelor's degree in science at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and then went on to the MBA program at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He finished his MBA but realized his true love was with science, so he returned to school to study medicine, eventually specializing in anesthesiology.

With a long list of accreditations to his name – BSc, MBA, MD, FRCPC – Foster practised medicine and taught at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hospital in London, Ont., where he was part of an association of anesthesiologists devoted to research and teaching.

"We've always believed in education. The building is payback for all the years of education our children and grandchildren received. It's a token of appreciation for all the good things our family got out of university," says Jim Penny, who developed Dairy Queen, A&W and TacoTime franchises throughout the country. "The world has been kind to us, and every once in a while there needs to be a payback. It's that simple."

The Dr. Foster James Penny Building will create new and exciting opportunities for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, its students, faculty and staff, and the local community. In addition to providing a gallery space for Fine Arts students, the Penny Building is home to the U of L's alumni relations and annual giving programs, the U of L Call Centre and eventually a U of L gift store and ticketing centre for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ activities.

Located at 324 5^th St. S., the 2,862 sq. metre structure also houses two large community meeting rooms equipped with audio-visual components and flexible seating plans.

"We see this space as an excellent opportunity to further our connection with Lethbridge and the southern Alberta community," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon. "We are extremely grateful to the Pennys for helping us to realize the vision of their late son Foster, and to continue his legacy as someone who loved learning and served his community in so many ways."

A love of learning remembered

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:45:58 +0000

In 2012, W. James (Jim) and Hazel Penny donated the landmark Capital Furniture Building in downtown Lethbridge to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Dr. Foster James Penny

The building represents an important part of the city's history and thanks to the Pennys, will now be part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's future. For the Pennys, the U of L Dr. Foster James Penny Building has a deeply personal significance - it honours their late son and his love of learning.

Longtime Lethbridge resident W. James (Jim) Penny carries a small black stone in his pocket that he and his wife Hazel found in the River Jordan more than 25 years ago. Today, the stone is smooth and shiny, polished from decades of laughter, tears and the countless steps the couple has taken together.

Partners in life and in business, Jim and Hazel spent their careers developing restaurant franchises in Canada and the United States. Originally from Saskatchewan, the couple lived in Estevan and later Medicine Hat, Alta., for a number of years while raising their two children: daughter, Aarol, and son, Foster.

With a young family and growing business interests, the couple's early years were filled with long hours, a few lucky breaks and a strong work ethic passed down from generation to generation.

"We started off as Dairy Queen franchisees in Estevan, Medicine Hat and Edmonton, and as Dairy Queen franchisors in northern Idaho and north-eastern Washington," recalls Jim. "We built our first store in 1954 with the intention of opening one store, and then just took advantage of new opportunities as they presented themselves over the years."

After living in Medicine Hat, the Pennys moved east to develop A&W franchises in Ottawa. In 1968, they moved to Lethbridge and set roots in their new community.

"We purchased a partnership with Jack Belzberg in Capital Furniture, which we operated for 20 years," says Jim.

In the 1990s, however, a fire destroyed the building, and although it was rebuilt, the Pennys sold the Capital Furniture business in order to concentrate their efforts on founding TacoTime Canada. In 2012, the Penny family generously gifted the landmark Capital Furniture building to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Since then, the building has undergone extensive renovations. Although the walls still hold years of history and memories, new life has been breathed into the building and it has a new face and purpose – it will immerse the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ into the community and provid

e new opportunities for those who pass through its doors for years to come.

The building's true significance, though, rests in its namesake: The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Dr. Foster James Penny Building, and the young man's life it honours.

Tragically, the Pennys' son, Foster, passed away in 1992 after a five-year illness with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was only 44 years old.

The building now stands as a testament to Foster and his love of learning.

"Foster said to me once," recalls Hazel, "Every time I pick up a book I want to learn everything that's in it."

And with a zest for life and a kind heart, he did. After completing his bachelor's degree in science at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Foster went on to the MBA program at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"About halfway through his MBA he phoned us one day and said, 'I've looked at science and I've looked at business, and I prefer science,'" says Hazel. "He finished his MBA and then went on to study medicine, and he really, really loved it. Thank goodness we supported him in his choice. He got to do what he loved, even if it was just for a short time."

After completing his MD, Foster specialized in anesthesiology. With a long list of accreditations to his name – BSc, MBA, MD, FRCPC – Foster practised medicine and taught at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hospital in London, Ont., where he was part of an association of anesthesiologists devoted to research and teaching.

"He was a medical doctor, he was a teacher and with a business degree, he was the go-to guy at the association for business and investment matters," says Jim. "He loved life and he was happy," Hazel adds.

And so the downtown U of L building will fittingly display Foster's name for generations to come, creating a lasting legacy for a young life cut far too short.

"It's a wonderful memory for our boy," says Hazel. "He would be so proud to see his name on a building pertaining to education. I can see him smile."

The Dr. Foster James Penny Building will create new and exciting opportunities for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, its students, faculty and staff, and the community well into the future. In addition to providing a gallery space for Fine Arts students, the Penny Building is home to the U of L's alumni relations and annual giving programs, and the U of L Call Centre. The Penny Building also provides an ideal space for community-related events.

For Jim and Hazel, gifting the building to the U of L was simply doing what's right.

"We've always believed in education. The building is payback for all the years of education our children and grandchildren received. It's a token of appreciation for all the good things our family got out of university," says Jim. "The world has been kind to us, and every once in a while there needs to be a payback. It's that simple."

UNews - Dr. Foster James Penny Building

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ officially opens Penny Building

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A love of learning remembered

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ officially opens Penny Building