By Leonard Buffalo | North of Polite

When the Manitoba Métis Federation awarded Robert Chapman $20,000 through its veterans legacy program, he gave the money back to support the education of young Red River Métis citizens. The federation turned his gift into a $60,000 endowment bearing his name. At 100, Chapman had found a way for recognition of his service to help someone just getting started.

Chapman served in the military from 1945 to 1946, his son Ken told the Winnipeg Free Press. On Sunday, he helped lay memorial wreaths at the Royal Canadian Legion in Winnipeg’s Elmwood neighbourhood for Indigenous Veterans Day. He told CityNews he was proud to have served and proud to be Canadian.

The new bursary will provide two $1,500 awards a year. The Free Press reported that Métis citizens in cadets and those pursuing studies connected to the Canadian Armed Forces can apply. Each year, two young people will get some help taking their next step because Chapman decided where he wanted that money to go.

Related reading · George McLean went to war twice. Canada should know his name.

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