The Vant Hayes Memorial Scholarship Fund

06/20/2026

Today we recognize Juneteenth the day when slavery was finally abolished fully in the United States of America.

https://www.history.com/articles/what-is-juneteenth?fbclid=IwZnRzaASi0XRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeXDX2jf4cMYHtteib2QH_L6Isvddej9-c8EYwEThPc3WPQ4AAVfHyHxvp-IQ_aem_oIDTtWySV9vvNM4QU0rY2Q

A federal holiday, Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States when news of the Emancip...

06/19/2026

We cordially invite you to join the 4th Afro Caribbean Festival in Central Alberta, a vibrant celebration of creativity and community spirit.

Our organization is delighted to present exclusive costume packages at a rate of $200 per set, showcasing an extensive array of designs, with children's costumes available at $150.

For additional information, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Proceeds from costume sales will contribute to a commendable cause, supporting ACCoCA, the festival, and artist Dez and his family.

Join us for our dynamic events, commencing with the kick-off celebration on July 11th at Parkland Garden Centre, followed by the Westerner Parade on July 15th, Cariwest in Edmonton, and the Afro-Caribbean Festival on August 15th and 16th, 2026. We are proud to collaborate with Cariwest in Edmonton, working together to foster community and creativity.

05/27/2026

Good Morning Everyone!!

The scholarship team is happy to announce the essays are ready and students can start to apply. Any students who are interested can send a request to the following email or message us on this platform.

[email protected]

Essays will start going out on Saturday May 30. Deadline to have the essays submitted back will be August 4, 2026. Funds will start to be released mid to late August to the chosen applicants. Should the chosen applicants be starting later into the fall semester for 2026, funds will be released a couple weeks before the start date.

Please note, the team must have proof of enrolment and acceptance into the post secondary institution of the students choice, as well as transcripts or current grade point averages. More weighting will be given to the essay side. Students will not be limited to which post secondary institution they choose. Scholarship applications must be no older then 23 years of age at time of application.

More information can be found further on this page about the scholarships.

The scholarship team does apologize for the delay in getting the essays together. Unfortunately one team member is dealing with health issues as some of you know and we took a break as a family to get things together.

Should you have any questions on the scholarships or the application process or issues contacting us please don’t hesitate to reach out on messenger.

Students start applying!!

Thank you,

The Vant Hayes Memorial Scholarship Team

05/17/2026

The timeline

https://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/306010/Early-Black-Settlement-in-Canada/ !date=1573-10-09_02:04:52!

People of African descent have lived in what is now called Canada since the 1600s. They came as explorers, as enslaved labourers, as migrants, as freedom-seekers, as refugees, and most recently as immigrants under Canada’s points system.

04/30/2026

https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/personnage-person/marie-joseph-angelique

Enslaved woman of African descent sold to a merchant in Montréal, New France, Marie Joseph dite Angélique was convicted of arson in 1734, whose life story has become a symbol of Black resistance and women’s strength.