University of Toronto Magazine University of Toronto Magazine

From One Bar to Another

Bronfman scholarship assists students in need

When Leanne Garvie left Nova Scotia at the age of 16 she swore she’d never enter a classroom again. But after two decades in Toronto as an artist and bartender – what she calls her “life behind bars” – Garvie had a change of heart. She enrolled in a class at U of T’s Woodsworth College. One class somehow led to four years, and now the 41-year-old is the recipient of a BA from the University of Toronto and hopes one day to study law.

Her degree took plenty of hard work, but Garvie says she could not have finished it without financial support – which is why she is grateful for the assistance she received from the Peter F. Bronfman Woodsworth Leadership Scholarship. “With each dollar you receive, there are fewer shifts you have to work,” says Garvie. “For someone like me, trying to carve a new career path, awards like this are crucial.”

The $5,000 scholarship was created in 1996 to mark the passing of Peter Bronfman, chair of Edper Foundation and senior chair of Brascan Corporation. “We wanted to honour Peter’s memory,” says Alan Dean (BArch 1967, MBA 1986), senior vice-president, corporate affairs, for Brascan.

“He was already a donor to Woodsworth College, so it was a natural place to do something.” The award is presented annually to five students in recognition of their high academic standing and contributions to the community. A Peter F. Bronfman Woodsworth Gold Scholarship, worth $10,000, is also awarded each year.

Recent Posts

Darren Hamilton in a blue patterned, long-sleeved shirt, seated in front of a piano, smiling and looking off camera

Spreading the Gospel

A Juno Award-winning teacher wants all his students to feel there is a place for them in music

A grassy field full of white clovers in a Toronto park, surrounded by trees and condo buildings in the distance

Cities Are Driving Evolution

Globally crowdsourced study shows that white clovers are biologically adapting to city life, demonstrating the profound impact of urbanization

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *