Stewart Genes Scholarship open until Aug. 31

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The opportunity to apply for the Stewart Genes Scholarship will be open until August 31.

Aline Holmen, director of Fundraising and Development, Taber and District Health Foundation, explained that the Stewart Genes Scholarship is for students enrolled in post-secondary healthcare studies.

The scholarship, Holmen continued, started in approximately 1970 with a donation from the estate of Aud Genes, who had no family and worked in the office of Purdue Motors. Mr. Genes, Holmen said, was badly crippled with arthritis but spent many hours on the baseball field as an umpire.

Alex Stewart, Holmen stated, was married with no children, ran a hardware store on the main street in Taber and was acclaimed to be an astute businessperson, and was also an active member of the Masonic Lodge.

“Funds were donated to the foundation as an endowment for scholarships for those entering the field of healthcare,” said Holmen. “The cost of education is considerable so our scholarship can assist to offset some of the cost. The scholarship is a positive for those wishing to go into the healthcare field and it can assist with a portion of the costs.”

Holmen says that the stipulations scholarship applicants must meet is being a senior high school graduate in Taber, the M.D. of Taber, Barnwell, Vauxhall, Grassy Lake, Enchant and Hays within the last three years, and being enrolled or being accepted in a full-time health care program including Medical/Nursing or Health Sciences, or related program at an accredited Canadian post-secondary institution. Applicants, Holmen says, must also be a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident, they must be in good academic standing, and they must not be a previous winner.

Submitting an application, Holmen stated, can be done by finding the application documents at https://www.tdhf.ca/scholarships, completing the application form and related document requirements, and either dropping them off at the Taber and District Health Foundation office, an office that is located in the East Wing of the Taber Health Centre near the Taber Clinic, or emailed to info@tdhf.ca.

Applications may also be received by mail but must be postmarked prior to the submission date of August 31. Two scholarships of $500 each will be awarded annually to eligible applicants, Holmen said.  

“We are proud to support healthcare by doing a small part to assist with what may be a financial barrier to some students,” said Holmen. “This support allows students to pursue education and training in healthcare, helping build a stronger future healthcare workforce and encouraging individuals to bring their skills back to our community.”