The Butters Foundation has a longstanding commitment to supporting students pursue careers in the health and rehabilitation sectors.

 

2021 Massey-Vanier Bursary Winners (English side)

Piper Laumaillier is a well-rounded student. She excelled in her studies and was involved in school and community. She was active in Student Council, the production of the Yearbook, curling and swimming. Piper received several scholarships including the prestigious Lily Butters Scholarship for her excellence as a top student of the Massey-Vanier Graduating Class of 2021. Piper, originally  a resident of Farnham, is attending Dawson College in Montreal in the health sciences program with the hope to pursue further studies in the medical field. Piper was also the recipient of several subject prizes: chemistry, enriched language arts, Mathematics SN5, physics and student leadership. She is a young woman with much promise and determination.

Jacob Peasley is a young man who received the Butters Foundation scholarship. Jacob also received  four other scholarships. Jacob is from West Brome, a graduate of Knowlton Academy and Massey Vanier High School. He is following a social sciences program at John Abbott College in St-Anne-de-Bellevue. Jacob thinks he might pursue further studies to become either a lawyer or a psychologist. Jacob is a determined young man with much promise.

2019 Massey-Vanier Bursary Ceremony (eng.)

 

 

 

 

This year’s ceremony was held on May 29th, on a beautiful late spring evening in Cowansville. The winner of the Lily Butters Prize of $1,500 was Jacob Quilliams, (left) and the winner of the Butters Foundation Prize of $1,000 was Trinity Cabana, (right). We wish them both all the best in their pursuit of post-secondary studies.

 

 

The Lily Butters Prize

The Butters Foundation has been awarding annual bursaries to graduating seniors from both the English & French programs of the bilingual Massey-Vanier Secondary School in Cowansville, since the early 1990s. On the English side, two bursaries are awarded each year. The Lily Butters prize ($1,000) is awarded to a top student of the graduating class and a bursary of $500 is awarded to another top level student. These bursaries are intended to support the continuing studies of these winners at the collegial level.

 

In 2017, the winners of the Lily Butters Prize, on the English side, were Patrick Janulewicz (left)  and  Angel Hebert (right) in one photo and Vanessa Bresee in the second photo. Both photos had Ron Creary of the foundation squeezed between & next to the winners, (see photos below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016 Massey-Vanier Secondary School Butters Foundation Bursary Winner (French side)

Dr. John A. Bryant Memorial Award

The Dr. John A. Bryant Award was started in the late 1980s in the Faculty of Education at McGill University (his alma mater) to commemorate the work of the late doctor for the Butters Foundation and for the cause of intellectual disability. Dr. Bryant was the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation during the early years of the Foundation, the medical director of the Cecil Butters Memorial Hospital, and the Chair of the Board of the Butters Center in the mid 1980s.

His dedication to his patients and to the work of Mrs. Butters and her successors was legendary. To all, in and around Magog, he was affectionately known as “Dr. Jack”.

This project has two aspects: a yearly donation to the John A. Bryant Collection (see below) and annual bursaries to graduate students in the Faculty of Education Social Inclusion programme, (see just below).

This project has been in place for over 30 years and has helped many post-graduates earn advanced degrees in Education and go on to serve intellectually disabled students across the country and beyond.

 

 

2018 Awards & Scholarships Reception – April 10, 2018

 

On the evening of April 10, 2018. the Butters Foundation was invited to a reception at the Faculty of Education of McGill University to honor the 2018 recipients of the John A. Bryant Bursary. Attending on behalf of the foundation was one of its Directors, Mrs. Beverly Bryant, daughter of the late Dr. Bryant,  who was a graduate of the Medical School of McGill in the years immediately after the 2nd World War. From left to right in the above photo, Lydia Tao, a Masters student in Educational Psychology, Bev Bryant of the foundation, and Suzanne Robinson, working toward a Masters in Educational Psychology in the inclusive stream.

‘’Changing Lives by Creating Opportunity’’- A Special Invitation

 

On Wednesday April 19^th, 2017 representatives of the Butters Foundation were invited to a celebration of student achievement and donor support at the Faculty of Education of McGill University. The Executive Director of the foundation, Ron Creary, had been invited to give the keynote speech in recognition of the foundation’s 30 years of support for the graduate student bursary program. He was accompanied by this year’s winner of the John A. Bryant Bursary, Ms Isabella Scurfield. Both short speeches were well received and complimented each other. Mr. Creary gave a history of Dr. Jack Bryant, his connection to McGill University and to the Butters Foundation. Ms. Scurfield described her work in the community and how this bursary would help her pursue her professional dreams with disabled students, (see photos below).

Mr. Creary was joined by Dr. Bryant’s daughter and director of the Butters Foundation, Mrs. Beverly Bryant and her son, Gillette, (see photo below with Ms. Scurfield).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the financial support of the Butters Foundation, McGill University has decided to commit to this annual John A. Bryant bursary in perpetuity.

 

 

The Doris Mildred Parsons Achievement Bursary

Doris Mildred Parsons was born in Hillhurst, a small community just outside of Coaticook in 1911. She completed her Teaching Degree from Macdonald College (McGill University) in 1939. She then returned to the Eastern Townships and devoted her life to teaching in the English public elementary and secondary systems. She taught in Richmond, Magog, Sutton, and lastly in Cowansville. She retired in 1966 but continued to keep a keen interest in the educational system in her community and beyond. Her commitment to excellence, promotion of educational advancement, and encouragement of community service are her legacy to the English-speaking community of the Eastern Townships.

Ms. Parsons left a bequest to the Butters Foundation to support the education of young adults in the pursuit of professional careers. In this regard, The Butters Foundation has created the Doris Mildred Parsons Achievement Bursary. Each year a student in the Special Care Counseling Program of le Cegep de Granby will be awarded a bursary of $2000. The successful student will be in good standing with the CEGEP, having just finished the second year of the program and committed to returning for the final year. The winner will be the student who, in the second year of the Programme, best exemplifies the qualities of Ms. Parsons and has exhibited the will and capacity to excel. The Butters Foundation is proud to be a part of the legacy of Ms. Parsons.

Bursary criteria

This $2000 bursary will be awarded once annually in early May, to a student who has successfully completed his/her second year in the program and plans to continue into the final year. In honor of Ms. Parson’s epitaph of “Scholar Educator Enthusiast”, the recipient will personify the following attributes:

In light of the above attributes, the selection committee will be looking for the following characteristics in the successful candidate for the Achievement Bursary:

1. A student who has shown dedication to and success in his/her studies, and is hardworking and determined.
2. A student who demonstrates a warm, pleasant and positive attitude towards others, both in his/her fieldwork setting and in class.
3. A student who demonstrates the qualities of a professional worker such as punctuality, dependability, confidentiality, respect, and commitment both at the College as well as in Fieldwork.
4. A student who has shown leadership in classroom activities and/or in fieldwork assignments.

2023 Cegep de Granby Winner

On May 2nd, 2023, at the CEGEP awards night, the Butters Foundation honored Ms. Kora Desrosiers with the 2023 Doris Mildred Parsons bursary for her work in the Specialized Education programme. She was one of 4 nominated by her classmates and successfully passed the selection committee interview. She was accompanied on awards night by her mother & 2 very proud children. Marie-Line Vachon, Prof at the CEGEP is on the right of the photo below.

 

2019 Cégep de Granby Winner

On the evening of the 6th of May, the CEGEP de Granby put on a marvelous awards event to showcase the student recipients of bursaries from the 2018-19 academic year. Organized by the administration of the college, this event sporting a ‘’Black & White” theme, featured refreshments beforehand and a talented troop of students who animated the evening and especially the ceremony itself in the Desjardins Auditorium on the 3rd floor of the building.

This year, the Doris Mildred Parsons Bursary of $2,000 went to Michel Lavoie, a mature student who returned to college after a few uneventful years in the low-level job market. His exceptionally high marks and an excellent interview with the bursary committee as well as his having been chosen as one of the 4 top students in his class by his peers, earned him this award.

The foundation wishes to thank M. Yvan O’Connor, DG of the CEGEP, for his commitment to fostering recognition of excellence and ensuring that the event each year reinforces success and student achievement across the CEGEP.

From left to right in the photo, a nameless event mime, the 2019 bursary winner, Michel Lavoie, Ron Creary, DG of the Butters Foundation, Marie-Line Vachon, professor, and Lilianne Mathieu, professor, both members of the bursary interview team.

2017 Cégep de Granby Winner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2016 Cégep de Granby Winners:

Left to right:  Marie-Line Vachon, Prof, Ron Creary, Butters Foundation, Joannie Roy, 1st winner, Jimmy Roy, 2nd winner, and Lilianne Mathieu, Prof.