View From the Legislature

This past Sunday a sign designating Park Road West as Honourary Jim Penner Way was unveiled. As Jim’s wife Bev indicated at the ceremony, it isn’t something that Jim himself would have asked for. But it is still a fitting tribute for a man whose legacy is marked by the lives that he positively impacted in so many ways.

Many Manitobans will remember Jim, who passed away more than nineteen years ago, as a successful grocer. After taking over ownership of Penner Foods from his father, Jim grew the company into the largest independent grocer in Western Canada, with stores in Winnipeg and southern Manitoba. Known as an employer who treated his staff well and paid generously, he positively impacted the lives of thousands who were employed by the company.

I count myself among those who benefited from Jim and from Penner Foods. After being hired at Penner’s at the age of 16, I grew in personal confidence, met some lifelong friends and was able to pay my way through university, setting my life on a different trajectory than it was on. Thousands of other former Penner Foods employees could tell their own positive stories and experiences.

Symbolically, the sign unveiling took place on the 43rd anniversary of the opening of Clearspring Shopping Centre. There wasn’t much between downtown Steinbach and Clearspring at the time of its opening and both Jim Penner and partner Ernie Penner (owner of EG Penner Building Centre), demonstrated a vision of what Steinbach could become in developing the shopping centre.

Jim and Bev Penner were also very well known and respected in Steinbach and Manitoba for being generous contributors to charity. Jim would often remark that he felt blessed to be able to give back to community causes. He was a champion of many worthwhile causes and was named the Humanitarian of the Year by the Variety Club of Manitoba.

Wanting to continue his life in public service, in 1999 after selling Penner Foods (which is now Sobeys), Jim was elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly representing the constituency of Steinbach. Serving as the finance critic for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party he was a well-respected member of the PC Caucus. Most importantly, he loved attending constituency events and assisting local residents with matters involving government. This was actually Jim’s second venture into elected life as he had also served as a Steinbach City Councillor previously.

While I always have been grateful for the opportunity to work at Penner Foods, my wife Kim and I were particularly thankful to have become closer friends with Jim in the last five years of his life. We are grateful for our association with him and are glad Bev and family members could participate in the sign unveiling. Our hope is that it will serve as not just a tribute, but as a fond reminder for those who were associated with Jim and Penner Foods and as a challenge to others to be bold, visionary, and generous. That was the Jim Penner way.