News release

For immediate release
Nov. 8, 2011

Inaugural Military Memorial bursaries awarded to 27 students

Bursaries honour fallen soldiers from Mount Royal University

(CALGARY – Nov. 8, 2011) Today, Mount Royal University was proud to present 27 of its students with the school’s inaugural Military Memorial Bursaries, named in honour of the 27 Mount Royal students who bravely gave their lives while serving their nation as members of Canadian Forces.

General (retired) John de Chastelain, Honorary Chair of the Military Memorial Project committee, former Chief of the Defence Staff and Mount Royal Distinguished Alum, presided over the first annual ceremony and personally awarded the bursaries to recipients in Ross Glen Hall on Mount Royal’s campus. The 27 annual memorial bursaries, valued at $2,500 each, honour the individual names and memories of each of Mount Royal’s 27 soldiers who died in service to Canada over the past 100 years.

Mount Royal University President David Docherty was pleased to host several special guests to help mark the occasion, including the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, His Honour, Colonel (Retired) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, and the Honourable Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta, along with family and friends of fallen Canadians, students, faculty and members of the community.

“Over the course of a hundred years, Mount Royal University has fostered a strong legacy of academic excellence and community engagement. It is a great credit to our student body that through these bursaries we are able to build on that legacy, creating a living memorial to the sterling character of past students,” said Docherty. “Year after year, another 27 students will become connected to the names, hopes and promise of each soldier. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to their sacrifice than this initiative.”

“With Remembrance Day approaching, the incredible contributions of our military are in the thoughts of Canadians across our great country. Recognition of these contributions is made especially poignant today, as many people who have been affected by the lives of our Canadian Forces gather together at Mount Royal University,” said Minister MacKay. “It is through the personal sacrifices of 27 brave Canadians that the dreams of new generations will be given life, and the spirit of service embodied by these courageous souls who passed in service of our nation are carried forward for years to come.”

The Military Memorial Bursaries are the culmination of four years worth of tireless work and research, carried out with great care by a team of historians led by Director of the Mount Royal University Archives Patricia Roome. Great efforts were made to find the relatives or any others who knew the 27 individuals memorialized through the bursaries.

Family or friends who wish to share their memories and stories are encouraged to contact Mount Royal and arrange an appointment to visit the Archives.
For more information, including a complete list of the fallen soldiers being honoured and the names of the 2011 bursary recipients, please visit: www.mtroyal.ca/100

Mount Royal students from all faculties are eligible to apply for Military Memorial Bursaries. For more information on the application process, please visit:
http://www.mtroyal.ca/Admission/MoneyMatters/ScholarshipsBursaries/index.htm

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For further information, please contact:
Fred Cheney, Media Relations Officer
Marketing and Communications
Office of University Advancement
Mount Royal University
Office: 403.440.5195
Cell: 403.542.7904
mediarelations@mtroyal.ca