DocumentsOtherJun 22, 2026Page 5
NOTICE OF MOTION - Establishing a Scholarship Award for the Late Councillor Lillian Szpak
Notice of Motion introduced by Councillor Harder (June 15, 2026) requesting Council direct staff to provide a one-time $10,000 contribution from the Council Contingency fund toward creating an endowment scholarship at Royal Roads University to honour the late Councillor Lillian Szpak.
Key facts
- Introduced by: Councillor Harder; Date: June 15, 2026
- Proposed one-time City contribution: $10,000 from Council Contingency fund
- Royal Roads University requires a minimum endowment of $25,000 to establish the entrance scholarship
- Scholarship to support local female students; to be managed by Royal Roads University independently
NOTICE OF MOTION - Establishing a Scholarship Award for the Late Councillor Lillian Szpak
Introduced by:
Councillor Harder
Date:
June 15th, 2026
Motion
WHEREAS the family of the late Councillor Lillian Szpak has expressed an interest to the City of Langford in establishing a scholarship award at Royal Royals University to honour the legacy of Councillor Szpak’s leadership;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to provide a one-time $10,000 financial contribution from the Council Contingency fund towards the creation of an endowment fund for Councillor Lillian Szpak’s Scholarship Award at Royal Roads University.
Background
First elected in 2002, Councillor Szpak dedicated more than two decades of her life to Langford through her work serving as a City Councillor, CRD Director, and Chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission. Following her sudden passing, Councillor Szpak’s family has expressed an interest in establishing a Scholarship Award in honour of Councillor Szpak’s memory and legacy as a Royal Roads Master of Arts in Leadership alumna. They have worked in collaboration with Royal Roads University and City Staff to establish the terms of an entrance scholarship that supports local female students enrolling at Royal Roads University, and a CanadaHelps fundraising page is now available for public contributions.
The Lillian Marie Szpak Scholarship Award will be managed independently by Royal Roads University and will not require ongoing administrative resources from the City. However, to successfully establish an ongoing entrance award, Royal Roads University requires a minimum endowment of $25,000. To contribute to this meaningful initiative, this motion proposes allocating a one-time $10,000 contribution from the Council Contingency Fund towards the establishment of an endowment fund for the Lillian Marie Szpak Entrance Award.