Albert and Margery Smith Scholarship (OTSS)

Award created thanks to the generosity of Jeffrey Smith

Award Overview

Value of the award:
Minimum $2,500
Number of awards:
Minimum 2
Award frequency:
Annual
Level or program of study:
Undergraduate
Application Type:
Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, accessible via uoZone.
Application Deadline:
November 3
Renewable:
No

Purpose of this Award

Provide financial support to Telfer School of Management students pursuing their Bachelor of Commerce (undergraduate program).

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

  1. be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person with the protected/refugee status
  2. be registered as a full-time undergraduate student to the Bachelor of Commerce program at the Telfer School of Management of the University of Ottawa
  3. be an Ontario resident, as per OSAP rules
  4. demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Financial Aid and Awards Service
Note: Preference will be given to students coming from regions without a local university.

How to Apply

Submitted in the Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, accessible via uoZone, and must include:

  1. the Financial Questionnaire

About this Award

This scholarship was established in 2008 by Jeffrey Smith (BAdm'78, BMgSc'79), in honour of his parents and the sacrifices they made and support they provided so that he could attend what was then the Faculty of Administration at the University of Ottawa, now called the Telfer School of Management.

Margery and Albert grew up in the village of Fenwick, Ontario and got married in 1956 where they moved to the northern edge of Welland. After completing high school, Margery took a job in the office of Atlas Steels in nearby Welland, Ontario. Meanwhile, Albert left high school to work at several jobs such as working shifts at the Atlas Steels factory and driving a bread truck, before finally settling on the auto service sector as a career choice. Automobiles would be a lifelong passion for Albert. 

Prior to their marriage, Albert was working at a Sunoco service station located in the Niagara Peninsula. He was successful in his application to be awarded the proprietorship of a new station in Welland. Marge and Bert started their own family fairly soon after their marriage, with their first son, Jeffrey, born in 1957, their daughter Lori, born in 1960 and their second son, David, born in 1963. Bert's love of cars fuelled his hobby during the late 50s and into the 60s: stock car racing. At first a sponsor, he later became a car owner. In fact, a “Bert's Sunoco” car was a frequent site in feature races at the local dirt tracks in the Niagara area and western New York State. Albert died in the summer of 1999. Marge sold the family home in 2001, which by that time had been absorbed into the suburbs of the town. Marge passed away June 17, 2014 at her home in Welland. 

“Turning 50 in 2007 and realizing that 2008 would mark 30 years since graduating from the University of Ottawa made me think back to the mid-70s, when I arrived at the University of Ottawa. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but my parents' desire for ‘something better' for their kids motivated them to support my desire to attend university pretty far from home. I also remember how getting the news in the summer of 1977 that I'd won a small scholarship based on my 2nd year academic performance was such a help. Although it wasn't a huge amount, it really helped in meeting expenses for 3rd year. I hope this scholarship can likewise make a difference in helping a Telfer student complete their studies at the School.” - JRS More on the biography of Mr. and Mrs. Smith can be found in the attached appendix. 

The donor thanks the Government of Ontario, which helped to create this fund through its generous matching contribution.