WAYNE FRANCIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The “Wayne Francis Memorial Scholarship” honours the life of Wayne Francis. Born and raised in Burin, Newfoundland and Labrador, Wayne excelled as a student and as a multisport athlete. He won many championships and awards, including Provincial High School Male Athlete of the Year for Newfoundland and Labrador and MVP of the Atlantic Canadian Soccer Championship. In 2024, Wayne was inducted into the Burin Peninsula Soccer Hall of Fame. Most importantly to Wayne, he made life-long friends and memories as a Berney Breaker, Burin Eagle, Marystown Mariner, and captain of the Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games Soccer Team.
After graduating from Father Berney Memorial High School, Wayne attended St. Francis Xavier University as an Oland Scholar. There he was team captain of the varsity soccer X-Men and recognized nationally as a Canadian all-star. Wayne earned distinction as an Academic All-Canadian for his performance on the field and in the classroom. Wayne pursued law school as a Lord Beaverbrook Scholar at the University of New Brunswick. He finished his varsity soccer career as an Atlantic Canadian all-star at UNB.
Wayne was a partner at Ritch, Williams & Richards in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he specialized in insurance litigation. He died in December 2024 at the age of 47, nearly a year after a cancer diagnosis. Wayne’s wish was to establish a scholarship fund to support students with strong ties to the Burin Peninsula pursuing academics and athletics at the post-secondary level. The Wayne Francis Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually beginning in 2025.
Donating to This Fund
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) is a registered charity (BN: 853376531RR0001). You can donate and receive a Canadian Tax Receipt using the form below, by sending a cheque to CFNL’s Office, or by e-transfering to info@cfnl.ca. Click here for a comprehensive list of types of donations CFNL can accept.
For US Donors – CFNL can accept and provide tax receipts for US Donors through its membership in the Community Foundations of Canada. Contact us at info@cfnl.ca or (709)753-9899 to learn more. The below form is only for Canadian Tax Receipts.
Community Fund
Through the Community Fund, CFNL provides strategic grants to grassroots community projects across the province through an annual application process. This is CFNL’s largest fund, and it supports community enrichment programs in the areas of: health and wellness, arts and culture, education, environment, and community capacity. Grants from this fund are unrestricted and are awarded to different organizations annually based on need and community impact. You can learn more about the fund and the process here.
Operating Fund
This fund sustains CFNL so that we can carry on our mission of enhancing the well-being of communities across our province. If you are donating to one of our other funds, please consider also making a small donation to our Operating Fund to assist us in our work.
Andrea Powell Memorial Scholarship Fund
Donating to This Fund
CFNL is a registered charity (BN: 853376531RR0001). You can donate and receive a Canadian Tax Receipt using the below form or by sending a cheque to CFNL’s Office.
For US Donors – CFNL can accept and provide tax receipts for US Donors through its membership in the Community Foundations of Canada. Contact us at info@cfnl.ca or (709)753-9899 to learn more. The below form is only for Canadian Tax Receipts.
Dr. Anna Templeton Award Fund
Founded with a gift from Dr. Anna Templeton, this fund provides an annual scholarship for a Newfoundlander or Labradorian to pursue continuing education in craft.
Boyce Taylor Memorial Fund
Supports the Boyce Taylor Memorial Award for Compassionate Action, which is given to a graduating student of Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John’s who: displays compassion, kindness, and respect towards others; is concerned with fostering cooperation; promotes diversity and an open-minded approach; and is courageous in working towards the elimination of conditions that cause pain to others.
Donating to This Fund
You can donate and receive a Canadian Tax Receipt using the below form or by sending a cheque to CFNL’s Office. CFNL can accept and provide tax receipts for US Donors through its membership in the Community Foundations of Canada. Contact us at info@cfnl.ca or (709)753-9899 to learn more. CFNL is a registered charity (BN: 853376531RR0001).
Cy Mills Fund
This Fund was established by friends and colleagues of Cy Mills as a memorial to him and his work as Executive Director for the St. John’s Boys and Girls Club. Cy was a man totally committed to the development of youth. The objective of this scholarship is to facilitate the pursuit of academic excellence. Annual scholarships are made to one boy and one girl, as selected by the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s. Each $500 scholarship is broken down as: a cheque in the amount of $200 to purchase school supplies with a staff person of the Boys and Girls club of St. John’s; $250 to be placed in a trust fund and a $50 cheque to the recipient.
David Stone Memorial Fund
The David Stone Memorial Fund was established by family members as a memorial to the life of David Stone who passed away suddenly after a skiing accident in 2013 at the young age of 13. David was passionate about life. He loved hockey, making people laugh, hiking in Gros Morne with his parents, along with trapping and hunting with his dad. He especially loved spending time with his family and friends and never hesitated to express his love and affection for them.
The David Stone Memorial Fund commemorates David’s life and compassionate spirit by providing an annual award to a grade nine student from St. James Regional High School. This recipient would best exemplify similar attributes of David Stone, the main one being compassion.
Furlong Family Scholarship Fund
Furlong Scholarship has been established in memory of James and Nonie Furlong by their loving daughter, Kathryn Furlong. There are two scholarships available each year for students from the City of Corner Brook who wish to further their education at an accredited university or college.
James Furlong, Kathryn’s father, was born in Furlong’s Cove, NL now known as Cook’s Brook in September 1901. He was one of 5 children. When his father died unexpectedly, James and his brother were forced to leave school to work to support their mother and siblings. He was only able to complete a grade 6 education. Despite this, James made a very successful living in the fishing and forestry industries until his later years when he also spent time in the real estate business. James continued to be active in his community until his death at age 93. Kathryn remembers him as a man who had incredible determination and drive to succeed no matter what obstacles were placed in his path.
Honorah Costello, Kathryn’s mother, was born in November 1903 in Conception Harbour, NL. Always known as Nonie, at age 2 she moved to Wood’s Island until she was ready for high school. She returned to the St. John’s area where she successfully completed her high school studies. Nonie met James in 1934 and they were married in Oct 1935. They welcomed their daughter Kathryn into the world in December 1936. Nonie was a dedicated wife and mother her entire life and despite some rather significant health challenges that eventually took her life in Sept 1980, she remained a tireless homemaker and supporter of her family. Nonie was a huge proponent of higher education and encouraged her daughter Kathryn to pursue a post secondary education during a time when many daughters were not given such an opportunity.
Kathryn Furlong, was born in Corner Brook in December 1936 and called Corner Brook her home until her death in 2022. Upon returning from St. Francis Xavier University, she worked for the CNIB for five years and then started her career with the City of Corner Brook. Her first duties with the city were those of a secretary but in a very short time she had earned a promotion to the position of City Clerk, a position she faithfully executed for over 30 years until her retirement. Kathryn was a very strong supporter of the City of Corner Brook and the potential she had always seen in its citizens. For this reason, she elected to establish this scholarship in memory of her father’s determination to succeed no matter the challenges and in memory of her mother’s steadfast belief that a key component of success was access to knowledge through higher education. It is the hope of the Furlong Scholarship that the successful recipients of the scholarship will use their education to enrich their own lives and lives of those around them whether it be in Corner Brook or elsewhere in the world.
Gerry Porter Award Fund
Gerald C. Porter (1962-2016) was a talented visual artist, designer, and humorist who made an indelible impact on the arts scene of St. John’s, Newfoundland, his hometown. Gerry loved boundary-pushing music and was part of the planning for this award. Following his death from brain cancer, an outpouring of generosity from the community fully endowed the fund within a few months. The first award was given in 2018.
The Gerry Porter Award for Creative Improvised Music consists of $1000.00, and is intended for an individual, group or organization based in Newfoundland and Labrador that produces or supports challenging music created by the will and spirit of the practitioner, known as creative improvised music. All genres of music are eligible, as long as they meet the key criteria of creative improvisation.
The award recipient is announced on the main stage during the Sound Symposium Festival, held in St. John’s every two years.
Winners of the Gerry Porter Award for Creative Improvised Music that were given out on July 21, 2022 at the Sound Symposium at the LSPU Hall. Due to COVID-related delays, an award was not given out in 2020 as intended, so there were two prizes to give out this year. Both winners received a cash award of $1000.
“Tiber Reardon is a multi-instrumentalist sound designer based in St. John’s, NL. He creates evocative, ambient soundscapes that elicit a feeling, mood, or image, often all at once. He is an active collaborator with many artists in the music and visual arts community.”
“Big Space is an instrumental jazz-band trio from Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. Featuring guitarist Grant King, bassist Ian Murphy, and drummer Ashley Chalmers, the band plays an original mix of modern jazz with other genres like post-rock, math rock, and progressive rock. Improvisation is a key part of their sound, and the trio is al about taking chances and catching moments of inspiration.”
For information on past recipients, and to see Gerry’s work, please visit gporter.net