OUR STORY

At the Loran Scholars Foundation, we identify and support young people who have the integrity and courage to make difficult decisions, the perseverance to work towards long-term goals, the curiosity to better understand the world around them and the drive to make positive change in their communities.

Every year, our volunteers dedicate over 7,000 hours to selecting up to 36 Loran Scholars from over 5,000 applicants. Our scholars come from all walks of life and every corner of Canada, from Hazelton, BC to Montréal to Fogo Island, NL.

In partnership with 25 Canadian universities and our donors, we challenge our scholars to explore, develop and share their talents. Each Loran Award is valued at up to $100,000 over four years of undergraduate study, including mentorship and summer experiences.

We are an independent charitable organization governed by a board of directors, working in partnership with universities, donors and volunteers. In 2017, the Financial Post once again named us a Top Canadian Charity based on evidence of good governance, financial transparency and clear evidence of impact.

LORAN, short for Long-Range Aid to Navigation, is a system that uses three points (for us, our values of character, service and leadership) to determine one’s course for a long journey. The name emphasizes the lifelong impact and values of being a Loran Scholar.

History

Our founders responded to what they recognized as a gap in the Canadian system of merit-based financial assistance to university students. Such assistance tended to be directed to two groups － those with exceptionally high academic averages, via university scholarship programs, and those with exceptional abilities as athletes, via national teams programs. Only a small proportion of overall financial aid was directed at those who show promise of the leadership and other talents that will make their communities better places both during and after their university careers.

In the words of our founder Dr. Robert Cluett, at the heart of our work is the belief that “breadth, openness to challenge, and willingness to take risk are many times more important than any quantitative measure of promise.” It is a belief that we still hold quite strongly today.

Before 2007, Loran Awards were known as Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation National Awards. We changed the name to emphasize the long-term impact of our work and the three pillars of character, service and leadership.

Board of Directors

Mike Johnston
President & CEO, REDspace

Alex Mazer (BMO Loran Scholar ’97)
Founding Partner, Common Wealth

Filip Papich
Managing Director & Co-Head of BMO Capital Markets Québec, BMO Capital Markets

Susan Scace
President, The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Doug Winslow
Vice-President, Portfolio Manager Burgundy Asset Management

Bruce M. Wright
Retired Managing Partner, MLT Aikins LLP

Ex Officio:

Meghan Moore (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar ’98)
Chief Executive Officer, Loran Scholars Foundation

Vali Bennett (Secretary)
Director of Administration, Avana Capital Corporation

Honorary Council

John H. Phillips
CEO, Klister Credit Corp.

Wendy Rebanks
Director, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation

Susan Scace
President, The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Past Council:

Purdy Crawford (1931-2014)
Counsel, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Grant L. Reuber, O.C. (1927-2018)
Former Chairman, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation

Annual Reports & Publications

Staff

Heather Spratt

Heather co-founded Loran’s Newfoundland selection committee in 1992 and later volunteered in Ottawa. Prior to her current role, she served as Loran’s Director of Programs for more than ten years. Heather has also worked as a guidance counsellor in Ottawa and special education teacher in New York City. She has a BA and BEd from Memorial University as well as an MEd from the University of Sydney as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.

Carolyn Bailey

Carolyn brings to Loran more than 10 years of experience in the educational and non-profit sectors, both in Canada and in the United States. She is passionate about issues of community development, civic engagement, food security, environmental education, and youth leadership development. She holds an HBA in history from McGill University.

Daniel grew up in Peterborough, ON, and earned a BSc in Kinesiology from Western University. At Western he was a peer mentor working to empower first-year students as well as other mentors. He is passionate about helping others to maximize their potential. Outside of work Daniel enjoys playing guitar and coaching sports.

Erica is a proud Loran Scholar alumnus originally from Niagara, Ontario. She brings to Loran experience in higher ed as a student affairs and career advising professional. Erica is a graduate of the First Nations and Indigenous Studies program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Outside of work, she enjoys modern quilting and spending time with her dogs.

Bella is passionate about languages and social justice. She has worked with young people in the care system and has been a passionate activist about issues such as immigration and accessible education. Bella has a BA in Employment Relations, Equity Studies, and Spanish. In her free time, she loves to learn new dance moves, read a history book, or better her Spanish.

Emily has spent 10+ years working in the field of youth engagement, from the front lines to senior management. Driven by a commitment to creating safe and supportive spaces for creativity and community to flourish, Emily is relentlessly passionate about supporting youth leadership, global citizenry, and the intersections between art and education. Emily holds an Honours BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph.

Adam joins Loran with 15 years of experience in the Canadian and American non-profit sectors. Working at the cross-section of arts education and equity, Adam most recently served as the inaugural director of the DOC Institute, a professional development hub for documentary filmmakers in Canada. There is nothing he likes more than collaborating with others to amplify impact. Adam is a graduate of McGill University, where he completed his Anthropology degree with distinction.