Beaverbrook Foundation keeps Vimy spirit alive

The Vimy Youth Prize is a two-week summer scholarship in England, Belgium and France to enable students to study the First World War and Canada’s Coming of Age. The Beaverbrook Foundation has awarded a grant of $100,000 annually for a period of two years, with the potential of renewal for a third year.

These scholarships are open to Canadian, British and French students 15-17 years old, and are won through competition by applicants who meet certain criteria, including academic excellence, team spirit, a sincere interest in both history and Canada’s role in the world and who, given the opportunity, show potential to be future leaders.

The students spend a week at Harrow School in England and another week near Vimy. Under the guidance of history teachers, they visit museums and relevant historical sites; meet key people, and participate in seminars, including spending a day at Oxford University. "We are very grateful for this significant donation,” said Vimy Foundation president Andrew Powell. “This association is a major step forward that will help the Vimy Foundation plan the future with confidence. We look forward to working closely with The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation to develop further this important relationship.”

In recognition of this, the prize well be renamed the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize.

With this collaboration, the Vimy Foundation will build upon the legacy of Lord Beaverbrook, (1879-1964), a prominent Canadian historical figure known for his creativity, ambition, leadership and vibrant energy. Born in Canada of modest background, Max Aitken rose as a successful entrepreneur, both in Canada and the United Kingdom where he became an influential newspaper publisher, important Government minister and friend and close colleague of Winston Churchill during World War II. “It is very important for young people to know and to discuss their shared history, and the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize provides an excellent forum for that discussion to take place” said Timothy Aitken, president of the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation.

The Vimy Foundation is a registered charity founded in 2006 with the goal of making young people more aware of the legacy of the battle of Vimy Ridge, which thrust Canada onto the world stage, gaining it recognition as a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles. The Foundation created the Vimy Prize, to bring together youth from Canada, United Kingdom and France so that they can better appreciate their intertwined history and gain perspective on Canada’s place in the world.

For more information, contact Andrew Ross of the Vimy Foundation at 514-953-4877.