Wes Johnston Student Award in Archaeology – University of Calgary

This Scholarship was created to support and encourage future archaeologists. Initially sponsored by the ASA Calgary Centre from 1966 until the 2003-2004 term when the award was renamed in honour of Wes Johnston, a long-time member and contributor to the ASA Calgary Centre. At the request of Wes Johnson the criteria now included that the recipient be interested in educating the general public and future generations about the importance of archaeology. The Wes Johnston scholarship is awarded to the top undergraduate student in archaeology at the University of Calgary.

Wes Johnston’s interest in archeology began when as a young boy on the prairie he accompanied his father, Russell Johnston, as he visited ancient campsites after one of the huge “dust bowl: windstorms. Russell marked and recorded each artifact that was uncovered and amassed a substantial surface collection which is described in Dr. Wormington and Dr. Forbis’ book and is still considered one of the most important artifact collections in Alberta. Wes became an avocational archaeologist and very active within the Archaeological Society of Alberta Calgary Centre, as an ASA Calgary Centre provincial representative to the ASA from 1988 to the spring of 2000 and then in the fall of 2000 was appointed a Lifetime Honorary Director, giving quiet counsel as needed. Wes took photographs his father’s artifact collection, which consisted of the well know Alberta Point that is featured on the Speaker Series Pamphlet for the ASA Calgary Centre and on the Scholarship Award Plaque presented to the recipient.

Past recipients:
2016 Julien Favreau
2015 Adam Cohen
2014 Natasha Hoehn
2013 Natasha Hoehn
2012 Sophia Fajnerova