We are pleased to announce that Ashley Harper, one of our branch directors, has received a prestigious provincial award and scholarship for her work in the heritage field.

On February 20, 2020, in a ceremony in the Legislative Building at Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ashley was honoured with the “Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement” and the “Young Heritage Leaders Scholarship.” The scholarship is valued at $3,500 and was sponsored by Canada Life.

Ashley hails from Winchester, Ontario. She has been a director of the St. Lawrence Branch – one of the youngest in the history of our organization – since 2018. She is also president of the Chesterville and District Historical Society. Ashley is a graduate of North Dundas District High School and is now studying history at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Ashley has also worked in numerous local museums such as the Carman House Museum in Iroquois, Ontario, and the Sir John Johnson Manor House in Williamstown, Ontario, both of which are strongly connected to the region’s Loyalist history. She is a descendant of Loyalists William Crowder Sr., William Crowder Jr., Abraham Hopper and Henry Froats.

The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada promotes the history of the Loyalists – the men and women who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). The St. Lawrence Branch covers the Ontario counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Ashley’s service with our organization underscores the continued importance of Loyalist history to all generations, including those born at the turn of the 21^st century.

We heartily congratulate Ashley on this significant achievement.

For more information, please contact one of the officers of the St. Lawrence Branch: President Lorraine Reoch, fancylass@hotmail.ca or Interim Vice President Stephen McDonald, sfmcdonald76@gmail.com.