Submitted by April Patry, Executive Director, BPHF
New Legacy Fund Will Provide Perpetual Support for Lion’s Head Hospital
The Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation (BPHF) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Anne & Howard James and Family Endowment Fund, a lasting legacy that will provide ongoing financial support for healthcare services at Brightshores Lion’s Head Hospital for generations to come.
Created through a gift of publicly traded securities valued at more than $50,000, the new endowment fund reflects the James family’s deep connection to the Bruce Peninsula and their commitment to ensuring local healthcare remains available close to home.
Unlike annual donations that are spent immediately, endowed gifts are invested and preserved in perpetuity. Income generated from the fund is distributed each year to support the hospital, creating a permanent source of revenue that will benefit patients and families well into the future.
“Endowment gifts are among the most powerful ways donors can support local healthcare,” said April Patry, Executive Director of the Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation. “They create a lasting legacy by providing reliable annual funding year after year, while ensuring the original gift continues to have an impact forever. We are deeply grateful to Anne and Howard for their vision and generosity.”
For Anne and Howard James, their relationship with Lion’s Head stretches back more than six decades. The couple’s first visit to Lion’s Head together was during their honeymoon in 1963, when they stayed at the James family cottage, the first cottage built in the Bruin subdivision in 1946 on what is now Moore Street East.
The family’s roots in the community run even deeper. Howard’s maternal grandfather, George Hummel, was a partner in the business now known as Foodland, then operating as Greig & Hummel. His paternal grandfather, Fredrick James, was the Bruce County Engineer who oversaw the construction of Centre Road, now Highway 6, and was the architect of the beloved St. Margaret’s Church in Cape Chin. Howard’s father, Reverend Canon Jack James, served as Rector of Christ Church Lion’s Head during the 1930s.
After building their permanent home on Moore Street in 1996, Anne spent many years working at Golden Dawn Long Term Care Home, where she witnessed firsthand the importance of having emergency healthcare services available locally.
“Anne became acutely aware of the need for a nearby hospital emergency department,” said Howard James. “An unwell resident could be seriously challenged to survive a trip to Owen Sound.”
Although neither Anne nor Howard has required extensive hospital care themselves, both have relied on emergency services at Lion’s Head Hospital when needed.
“We have repeatedly said how blessed we are that help was just ‘down the street,’” said Howard. “It is for that reason, and many others, that we decided to support the Lion’s Head site through the Foundation.”
The James family’s gift was made through the Foundation’s Share Your Shares Program, which allows donors to make charitable gifts using publicly traded securities. Donating securities directly to a registered charity offers significant tax advantages, including the elimination of capital gains tax that would otherwise apply if the securities were sold first. Donors also receive a charitable tax receipt for the fair market value of the donated securities.
“Our donation resulted in two significant tax benefits,” said Howard. “We became exempt from paying capital gains tax on the securities and also benefited from charitable donation tax credits. Combined, this can amount to anywhere from one-third to nearly one-half of the value of a donation. It is one of those rare win-win situations.”
Patry notes that gifts of publicly traded securities are often one of the most tax-efficient ways to make a charitable contribution while creating meaningful community impact.
“Many donors are surprised to learn how advantageous gifts of securities can be,” said Patry. “When combined with an endowment, donors have the opportunity to maximize both their charitable impact and the tax benefits available to them, while creating a permanent legacy for local healthcare.”
The Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to Anne and Howard James and their family for their generosity, leadership, and enduring commitment to healthcare on the Bruce Peninsula.
For more information about endowment giving or donating publicly traded securities through the Foundation’s Share Your Shares Program, please contact the Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation.
