McDougall United Church Indigenous Bursary

Updated July 2024.

In the Spring of 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its recommendations after hearing the hardships Indigenous people faced and continue to face, after being placed in residential schools . George S. Hogg, a long time member of McDougall United Church approached Executive Council with the idea of setting up a fund for Indigenous people wishing to further their education as a way to acknowledge our role and begin the process of reconciliation. George was passionate about this cause!

With a generous donation of $25,000 from an anonymous donor, the McDougall United Church Indigenous Bursary (formerly the First Nations Bursary) was created in partnership with Mount Royal University. The name was chosen as a powerful way to demonstrate the church’s desire for, and commitment to, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by supporting their pursuit of a post secondary education. 

George passed away January 9, 2017 and because of his passion for Truth and Reconciliation he had requested donations in his memory be made to the McDougall United Church Indigenous Bursary. Because of this and many other donations, this endowment fund has grown to over $51,000, as of June 2023 and has awarded an annual bursary to an Indigenous student since its inception in 2016. As the fund continues to grow we hope to be able to award 2 bursaries annually in the near future.

The Foundation encourages donations to this endowment in George S Hogg’s memory or in honour of anyone you may choose.

Bursary recipients are as follows:

2017.    Jessica Krieger

2018.    Marcedes Mousewaypago

2019.    Samantha Wellington 

2020.    Isabella West

2021.     Jasmine Majoros

2022.    Lillian Canete

2023.    Jazmyne Horbay-Verbonac

To learn more about the McDougall Foundation, please visit the Foundation’s webpage.