History and Mission
The Errol Barrow Memorial Trust of Canada (EBMT) was created in January 1989 by His Excellency, the late Peter Morgan, then High Commissioner for Barbados in Canada. The other original Trustees were:
Ms. Anne Cools (former member of the Senate of Canada)
Mr. Donald Grant
Dr. Berkeley Harris
Mr. Thomas Van Dusen
Mr. Paul Van Vlack
EBMT was restructured in 2009 by His Excellency, the late Evelyn Greaves, then High Commissioner for Barbados in Canada.
The Trust bears the name of the late Right Honourable Errol Walton Barrow, P.C., Q.C., Barbados’ first Prime Minister, who passionately believed that education is the cornerstone on which any society must build its future. Indeed, one of his signature accomplishments as Prime Minister was to enable free education in Barbados up to and including tertiary level.
EBMT was established to help realize Barrow’s vision of the power of education across the Caribbean region. In accordance with its 1989 Deed, the Trust offers financial assistance to eligible students from the Caribbean Commonwealth, which refers to West Indian countries that are, or have been, or may at any future time be, members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Right Honourable Errol Walton Barrow
Prime Minister of Barbados
(1966-1976, 1986-1987)
To this end, the purpose of the Trust is captured in the following Mission Statement:
EBMT Mission Statement
The Mission of the Trust is to help realize Errol Barrow’s vision of the possibilities of education, by providing financial assistance to students of the Caribbean Commonwealth who wish to pursue undergraduate studies, and contribute to the long-term development of the region.
Governance
The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees that operates under a Deed established at the 1989 inception. It is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and is operated as a charity, registered with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). The current Trustees are:
Dr. Victor Gooding, Chairman
Mr. Morris Redman, Past Chairman
Ms. Patricia Oliver, Secretary
Ms. Yvonne Knibbs, Treasurer
Mr. John Harewood, Awards Assessment Officer
Mr. Waldo Burrowes, Trustee
Ms. Kathryn Serieux, Trustee
Ms. Terri-Ann Wint-Scarpa de Masellis, Trustee
Patrons of The Trust
The following persons have been designated Patrons of the Trust in recognition of their significant contributions to EBMT and its Mission over the years.
Mr. Reynold Austin
Mr. Donald Grant
Mrs. Betty Hope-Gittens
Mr. Milton Sealy