Have you ever wondered what happens to the collection taken at the Hantsport Remembrance Day Service on November 11th? It is given to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation. On April 30th, 1962, fifteen people met with the Mayor; Dave Freeman acting as Chairman. Others attending included: John Harvie, Doug Cuvilier, John Morse, Rev. Pyke, Merrill Hyson, Al Harlow, Evangeline Phillips, Carl Peach, John Folker Jr., Donald Davison, John Allard, Eugene Dukeshire, Harold Burden and Rev. Blanchard. This was the beginning of the Foundation and, with the assistance of the Town Solicitor, a committee was formed to draw up By-Laws. The first Officers were elected at this meeting: Chairman – John Harvie, Secretary – Merrill Hyson and Treasurer – Al Harlow.
The Foundation is named to honour those who served from Hantsport and Area in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. The Royal Canadian Legion, Lucknow Branch No. 109 of Hantsport and the Ladies Auxiliary, always had a representative on this committee, until the Hantsport Branch officially closed in June 2012. St. Clair and Eudora Patterson held these two positions on the committee for many years until 2014. In November 2016, the By-Laws were revised and the word Veterans added to the name.
Since the early sixties, the Foundation has met at least once yearly. The committee collects and welcomes donations to add to the Remembrance Day Service collection. This has allowed a scholarship to be offered every year to a deserving student or students from the Hantsport area. Stewart Hyson received the first scholarship in 1964 in the amount of $50.00. Since then, the scholarship has helped toward the cost of a university or college for 81 individuals. The Foundation meets to consider student applications and to award the scholarship(s). It is presented at the school of the deserving student(s) at their graduation.
The current members of the Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation are: Chair-Marie Doucette, Vice Chair-Harold Bulger, Treasurer-Mary Pyke, Secretary-Steve Miller and committee members Peter Johnston, Peter Murray, Paul Maxner, Rebecca Maxner, David Folker, Carmen Dewar-Miller, and Robbie Zwicker. From the financial statements, the first identified Remembrance Day collection was $39.46 in 1965. In the past few years, that amount has grown. This collection is the major contribution to the Foundation funds annually. Individuals and/or groups may make donations to the Foundation through e-transfer at any time through Mary Pykeat HantsportScholarship@gmail.com Please use Hantsport as the security password. If you wish to have a receipt for income tax purposes please email that same address with your information. Those donating by cheque can send it to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation c/o Hantsport School, P.O. Box 392, 11 School Street, Hantsport, NS B0P 1P0.
In 2018 there were 5 recipients which was due to the donation to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation from the estate of the late John Harvie who was a long-time member of the committee well into his 90s.
The scholarship committee considers the academic and extra-curricular activities of the applicants. This process has shown that there are students who are hard-working and productive members of our community. The recipients for 2025 each received the amount of $1500.00. The successful students were Bria Hurlbut and Sophie Muttart who are both attending Acadia University.
You now know where the Remembrance Day collection goes and the opportunity those funds and other donations has provided many Hantsport and area students.
The following is a list of the recipients since its beginning:
1964 Stewart Hyson $50.00
1965 David Freeman $75.00
1966 Carol Cuvilier $125.00
1967 David MacInnis $125.00
1968 Audrey Oldershaw $150.00
1969 Donald Porter $150.00
1970 Leslie Rogers $175.00
1971 Julie Comstock $175.00
1972 Kevin Fraser $200.00
1973 Peter Lund $200.00
1974 Leah Clark $250.00
1975 Maureen McGinn $250.00
1976 Jane McGinn $300.00
1977 Laurel Clark $300.00
1978 Melinda McGinn $300.00
1979 Lorraine O’Dell $350.00
1980 Paulette Newcomb $450.00
1981 Andrew Harvie $500.00
1982 Theresa Newcomb $500.00
1983 Heather MacMillan $300.00
Stephen Marsters $300.00
1984 Trudy Pettigrew $600.00
1985 Angela Connors $600.00
1986 Lisa Gaudet $650.00
1987 Wanda Cleveland $650.00
1988 Lloyd Starratt $750.00
1989 Sydney Swaine $700.00
1990 Susan MacMillan $750.00
1991 Marie Doucette $800.00
1992 Tracey Talbot $800.00
1993 Jan Zwicker $800.00
1994 Carla Shaw $800.00
1995 Melissa Grey $375.00
Arlene Doucette $375.00
1996 Steven Sanford $600.00
1997 Abe Zebian $700.00
1998 Jill Sanford $800.00
1999 Kerri Burgher $800.00
2000 Melissa Kelly $800.00
2001 Morgan Dunbar $500.00
Julie McCarthy $500.00
2002 Natasha Ewert $1000.00
2003 Ashley Harding $1000.00
2004 Dustin Currie $1000.00
2005 Heather Harding $1000.00
2006 Shaun MacFarlane $1000.00
2007 Ben Jamer $1000.00
Heather Babin $1000.00
2008 Nataleah Irvine $1000.00
Justin Barkhouse $1000.00
2009 Kelsey Carey $1000.00
2010 Lindsay Coldwell $1000.00
2011 Michael Gnemmi $1000.00
Jessica Zinck $1000.00
2012 Ally Loiselle $1000.00
Morgan McNeil $1000.00
2013 Christina Traverse $1000.00
Rachel Newcombe $1000.00
2014 Courtney Garland $1500.00
2015 Darcy Fuller $1500.00
2016 Luke Oulton $1500.00
Will Newcombe $1500.00
2017 Jillian Miller $1500.00
Lex Corbett $1500.00
2018 Ben Pelton $1500.00
Abby Miller $1500.00
Hannah Coldwell $1500.00
Nathaniel Maxner $1500.00
Lindsay Myles $1500.00
2019 Noah Pyke $1500.00
Jesse Fuller $1500.00
2020 Heidi Maxner $1500.00
McKinley Bezanson $1500.00
2021 Rebecca Kelley $1500.00
Anna Syme $1500.00
2022 Julia Newcombe $1500.00
2023 Brett King $2000.00
2024 Hana Hutchinson $1500.00
Kaylee McMahon $1500.00
2025 Bria Hurlbut $1500.00
Sophie Muttart $1500.00