Grant

Grant Morris

Dr. Grant Morris, ORB, 

(Order of the Republic of Barbados)

Dip. Bldg & Eng. Tech.,

B.A., M.Ed., Hon. LLD

To say that Dr. Morris is grounded in community is to speak to both his professional career and to his volunteer work.

In 1956 he was judged Mr. Most Muscular Teenager and 4 years later was the Junior Weight Lifting Champion in the 148 pound division. He represented Harrison College in football and cricket and was also a cadet and a senior scout.  In community service he served on the   Ways and Means Committee and as Chair of the Awards Committee of The Barbados Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) and as Chair of the Awards Committee of the West Indies Chapter.

He began his working life in 1960 as Draftsman at the Barbados Ministry of Transport where he was involved in designing roads and airport infrastructure.  He later joined the Natural Gas Corporation of Barbados, rising to the position of Senior Mains Assistant and Acting Distribution Superintendent.

Philanthropy

Dr. Morris, through the Caribbean Event and with the help of Amec Canada, has embarked upon a project of providing refurbished computers to set up computer labs mainly in rural schools throughout the Caribbean.  To date, approximately 108 computers have been sent to Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Kitts and Guyana.  This project is aimed at providing computer experience mainly to financially challenged children.

While his professional expertise is well known in many circles, he is perhaps best known in Durham Region for his commitment to serving others and to giving back to the community.

Each year at what has become known as “The Caribbean Event”, Dr. Morris and his significant other Patricia Sammy, open their home to hundreds of supporters and members of the Caribbean-Canadian community to raise money for scholarships and financial support to students in Barbados, the Caribbean and in Canada.

Through this Event, along with personal contributions, Dr. Morris has also pledged an endowment targeted at $1 million to assist students in need attending the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT).  This is in addition to providing some $30,000.00 yearly for 18 Bursaries and Scholarships for students attending Junior/High School, College and University.

Within the last 12 years, the Caribbean Event’s contributions to the community include the following:

 

  • Approximately $347,904.00 to our Endowment Fund at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT).
  • $67,595.00 to the Downsview Youth Covenant aimed at positive development of financially challenged youth in the Jane Finch area.
  • $173,150.00 to local Bursaries and Scholarships.
  • $1,950.00 towards St. Michael Alumni Association’s Scholarship.
  • $8,240.54 towards its computer initiative program for Caribbean countries. To date, the following countries have benefited, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and St. Lucia
  • $6,000.00 to support Aids research programs at Harrison College & Queen’s College in Barbados
  • $5,000.00 to assist with the Grenada Relief Fund.
  • $1,000.00 to McMaster University for Cancer Research.
  • $8,750.00 to aid two students with medical problems, one with operations to prevent total blindness and another to assist with her deformed feet.
  • $12,000.00 to our first Robert Morris Masters Scholarship. This student has now graduated with an Executive MBA.
  • $7,000.00 for other charitable projects.