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

Éric Lauzon 
Senior Community Partnerships Manager, Air Canada

Rhonda Lenton 
President and Vice-Chancellor, York University

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:

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

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

Honorary Council

Rod MacLennan, C.M. 
Owner, Tribune Holdings Ltd.

John H. Phillips
President & 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)
Former CEO, Imasco Ltd.
Former Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Grant L. Reuber, O.C. (1927 – 2018)
Former COO, Bank of Montreal
Former Chair, Canadian Deposit Insurance
Corporation

Annual Reports & Publications

Staff

Heather Spratt
Vice-President, External Relations
heather.spratt@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x224

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.

With 10+ years experience in the arts, social services, and higher education, Loretta is committed to engaging future leaders as they explore ways to effect positive individual- and system-level change. She is drawn to issues concerning equitable access to post-secondary education, building more inclusive communities, and finding comfort in discomfort. Loretta holds a BA in Film Studies and a Diploma in Career & Work Counselling, and keeps a stack of cookbooks on her nightstand.

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.

Kylie Serebrin 
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications (Consultant)

Kylie earned a BA in English Literature and Communication and an MA in Art History from Western University. She brings to Loran many years of experience in marketing and strategic communications across publishing, agency, and start-up environments. A modern art, film, and music enthusiast, Kylie is passionate about the arts as media for intercultural dialogue and global community-building.

Tanner Zekonic
(Grandey Loran Scholar ’15)
Cluett Fellow
tanner.zekonic@loranscholar.ca

Tanner most recently worked for McGill University’s Office of Sustainability where he stewarded the million dollar Sustainability Projects Fund which empowers staff and students to create a culture of sustainability on campus. Prior to this, he graduated from McGill with an Honours BA in Economics and the Earth’s Environment. He brings his passion for environmental and social sustainability to the Loran team. Outside of work, he loves to garden and to refurbish vintage electronics.