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The Maritime Awards Society of Canada (MASC) is a national foundation and registered charitable organization created to enhance public awareness and understanding of the vital importance of maritime affairs to the well being of all Canadians. Its vision is to be recognized as the premier organization in Canada for the promotion of public awareness, education, and debate regarding ocean-related issues as well as the dissemination of information on maritime affairs to all Canadians. The Society is dedicated to enhancing its reputation as a valued, apolitical, national, non-profit, charitable organization by hosting public forums and workshops that address Canadian maritime concerns.
MASC was established in 1987 as a fundraising initiative of the Naval Officers Association of Vancouver Island (NOAVI). The Society’s objective is to offer graduate scholarships to students researching and writing in the broad field of ocean studies. The first MASC scholarship established at the University of Victoria and was followed in the 1990s with similar scholarships for masters and doctoral candidates at three other Canadian universities: Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dalhousie University and the University of Calgary.
Today, the Maritime Awards Society carries on that tradition by encouraging its supporters and friends to donate directly to these established scholarship funds (see our Legacy page).
April 18, 2024: The Board of Governors of the Maritime Awards Society of Canada announces with regret the passing of Cdr. Peter Godwin Chance, RCN (rtd), CD MNI, the Founder and Patron of MASC, and our cherished friend. He was 103 years old. Cdr. Chance inspired everyone who had the opportunity to meet him, and he will be remembered for his generosity, warmth, humour, and relentless energy. MASC scholarships in Peter’s name have been established at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Victoria. Further details about the remarkable life of Peter Chance can be found here, here, and in his official obituary.
March 1, 2024: The Board of Governors of the Maritime Awards Society of Canada is saddened by the passing of our colleague and friend, Dr. Alan Rodney Dobell, PhD. Rod Dobell was a long-time Governor of MASC and contributed greatly to its research activities during the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially our work on British Columbia offshore hydrocarbon development and Canadian fisheries management and policy issues (see our publications page). More information on the remarkable career of Dr. Rod Dobell can be found here, and in his official obituary.