Craig Brothers Limited - Supporting Lakeland for Years
Craig Brothers Limited
Visionaries yearsWhen it comes to supporting Lakeland College and its students, Craig’s of Vermilion has led by example. Since 1927, the Vermilion-based business has provided the Craig Brothers Award every year the college has been in operation.
“Craig’s of Vermilion has the distinction of being the longest consecutive donor to our student awards program. Through the years almost 100 students have benefited from the generosity of this business,” says Glenn Charlesworth, president of Lakeland College.
John Stewart, owner of Craig’s of Vermilion, says supporting Lakeland College and its students has always been important. While he wasn’t born when his grandfather John Craig and brother Chum presented the first award, he does remember his parents Stew and Kae talking about the importance of supporting the college.
“We grew up knowing that the college staff and students were an extremely important and vital part of our community. The awards program is a very significant avenue in which we can show our support,” says Stewart. He’s also encouraged other organizations of which he’s been a member of to support the awards program, noting that years ago he successfully advocated for the creation of Vermilion and District Chamber of Commerce and Vermilion Agricultural Society awards.
For years the Craig Brothers Award was given to an animal science student. According to college records, in 1971 the value of the award was $50. In 1977 Craig’s increased its award to $150 and presented it to the student with the highest academic achievement in the office administration program. The award value increased to $300 in 1990 and then to $500 in 2001. Since 2005, Craig’s has provided two $500 awards to interior design technology students.
Attending the awards evening has always been a priority for the Stewarts. “The college has to be complimented on its awards ceremony and its efforts to bring the donors and the recipients together,” says Stewart.
Charlesworth noted that it’s not only the awards program that Craig’s of Vermilion and the Stewart family support. Stewart and his wife Sally also donated money to create a student gallery at the Vermilion campus to showcase the work of interior design technology students. Their son Doug Stewart has been instrumental in the success of the professional bull riding event held annually in the college’s indoor riding arena. That event raises funds for upkeep of the riding arena and the rodeo team.
“They are very passionate supporters of Lakeland College,” says Charlesworth.
But Stewart is quick to point out that Lakeland College has supported the community of Vermilion in many ways, such as the joint pool use agreement with the Town of Vermilion and the $1 sale of college land that became the site of the Vermilion Regional Centre. He also noted that college and the agricultural society worked together in the 1980s and again a few years ago to build bleachers that are used in the riding arena during the school year and at the fairgrounds in the summer.
“There’s been a nice spirit of cooperation between the college and the town. It’s great to see,” says Stewart.
As the college approaches its centenary in 2013, Stewart says he sees no end in sight to the Craig Brothers Award. “We’re very proud of Lakeland College and will continue to support it in any way we can.”
