Yellowknife Community Foundation

First Elaine (Sweet) Whitford Scholarship Presented

September 2, 2010 - Former Commissioner Tony Whitford and Foundation President Daryl Dolynny presented Bianca Kotchea with the first ever Elaine (Sweet) Whitford Memorial Scholarship at an Aurora College Assembly at Northern United Place on Thursday, September 2. (continued below)

Bianca is a second year Social Work student at the Yellowknife Campus of Aurora College. When she completes her Social Work Diploma she plans to pursue her Bachelor's and then Master's Degree. She was born in raised in Fort Liard and although she faced some challenges to getting this far "being a college student has made me become proud in what I want and what I do for myself, my family and my community."

The Elaine (Sweet) Whitford Scholarship was established in her memory in 2009. It is designed to assist Northern post secondary students in their second or subsequent year of study in Social Work or Nursing.

Mary Elaine (Sweet) Whitford was born in Islay Alberta and first came North in 1964 as a summer student from the University of Saskatchewan. With her Bachelors’ degree, her first assignment took her to Inuvik where she spent the summer as a Social Worker.  After completing her master’s degree in Social Work she returned north to work in Fort Smith in the late summer of 1965. Shortly thereafter, she met her future husband, former Commissioner Tony Whitford.  They married a year later and over the years raised three sons Warren, Blair and Ian in the North.

During her life in the North Elaine strived not only to serve the public, but to encourage
northerners to remain in school and for many, pursue a higher education. She had a particular fondness for social work and nursing and encouraged many to go on and obtain their diploma or degree and become the professionals and the supervisors working in the field today.  Elaine died on February 23, 2003 after a brief bout with cancer.