John Penner (December 12, 1931 – March 5, 2003) was an educator and political figure in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. He represented

Swift Current Swift Current is the sixth-largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans-Canada Highway west of Moose Jaw, and east of Medicine Hat, Alberta. As of 2024, Swift Current has an estimated population of ...

from 1991 to 1995 in the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan () is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, in the ...

as a

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

(NDP) member. He was born in

and grew up on the family farm. Penner received a BA and

BEd A bed is a piece of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds ...

from the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

. He taught school for over 30 years and was vice-principal and principal in a Swift Current

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. After retiring from teaching, Penner operated the Parkside Memorial Funeral Home in Swift Current. He also served 12 years as president of the Western Credit Union Board. Penner was an alderman for the city of Swift Current before entering provincial politics. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial assembly in 1986, losing to

Patricia Anne Smith Patricia Anne "Pat" Smith (born January 29, 1943) is a former political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. She represented Swift Current (provincial electoral district), Swift Current from 1982 to 1991 in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as a ...

, before being elected in 1991. Penner served in the Saskatchewan cabinet as Minister of Energy and Mines and as Associate Minister of Finance. He retired from cabinet in February 1995 after suffering a mild

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

and undergoing bypass surgery. He did not run for reelection. He died at home in Swift Current of heart failure at the age of 71.

References

1931 births 2003 deaths People from Swift Current Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLAs 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan {{NDP-Saskatchewan-MLA-stub