The Yellowknife Community Foundation honours “Team Legaree” at volunteer recognition event

Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/namu44/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro/modules/dynamic-tags/tags/post-featured-image.php on line 39

9 April 2016

The Yellowknife Community Foundation is pleased to participate in this year’s Volunteer recognition Event, hosted by the City of Yellowknife. This year, we are acknowledging and celebrating the many years of dedicated service Ian and Alexander Legaree have donated to the Foundation.

We affectionately refer to Ian and Alexander as “Team Legaree”. Ian’s involvement with the Foundation goes back to its beginnings. As a Founding Director in 1993, Ian has seen the organization grow from nothing to one with assets totalling $4 M. Ian has served as a board member, as President, and has taken on many committee roles over the years. He is a key member of our organization, and is our official historian, among his many other roles.

Alexander’s connection to the Foundation began with a scholarship from the Jenny Gamble Fournier Memorial Scholarship fund in 2000. He has since volunteered his time working alongside his dad, as a photographer, website developer, and is our go-to man for all of our electronic communications.

Gerry Avery, another founding member of the Yellowknife Community Foundation put Ian’s contribution this way: “There is an old saying – ‘those that can, do; those that can do more, volunteer’. I think that this describes Ian with all his dedication and willingness to step up to the plate and do what was required to get the job done. He never skirted his areas of responsibility and we were always able to count on Ian to do what he said he would do.”

Thank you to the City of Yellowknife for putting volunteers in the forefront during Volunteer Week, and to all the volunteers who continue to make Yellowknife a great place to live.

Yellowknife Community Foundation

In existence since 1993, the Yellowknife Community Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization in Yellowknife. A registered charity, the Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide residents (and former residents) with a means of supporting projects in our community for the enduring future. The Foundation is not singularly dedicated to any specific area of support. It embodies a simple concept – that people working together can make a difference.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation administers 33 funds, 22 of which are scholarships. To date, nearly $800,000 in grants and scholarships have been awarded.

For more information contact Bronwyn Watters, President (867) 446-1145.

Share this post

Discover more

Impact Story - Skate North -...

The Yellowknife Small Grants Program offers micro-grants of up to $1,000 for individual residents of Yellowknife, Ndilǫ, and Dettah to bring the community together and help make it better. The first ever batch of grants was awarded in Fall 2025 to eight community members, including Forrest Doctor for his ongoing project, Skate North.

The initiative aims to make skateboarding more accessible to youth by providing safe skate spaces, equipment, and mentorship.

” I want to encourage youth to commit to their passions, take initiative, and create positive change. For me, that means creating a safe space for learners, something I didn’t have when I first started. This project is about keeping skateboarding alive in the NWT and giving our youth the support and opportunities they deserve.” – excerpt from Forrest’s proposal

Forrest used the grant to purchase helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards to give away to up-and-coming skaters. Through free prize draws, in-person outreach, and open calls on social media, Forrest was able to get gear directly into the hands of youth who need it the most.

Forrest Doctor giving away gear at the miniramp in Ndilǫ. The ramp was constructed in Spring 2026 as part of a Skate North wordworking workshop, delivered in partnership with the YKDFN Dechı̨ta Nàowo Training Center.

Matt Wolff from Rumor Boardshop in Edmonton, AB.
The skate shop is an ardent supporter and partner to the Skate North project.

Donate to the Fund

The results of this direct access model were both immediate and unexpected. Two things stand out especially. First, Forrest noticed that new skaters were able to instantly start with confidence. Having proper safety gear in place meant they were free to try things as many times as they wanted. That ability to iterate safely creates a level of early learning and progression that is invaluable.

Second, the degree of engagement from youth, families, and the larger community was uplifting. Skate North has now grown through additional volunteers, sponsors, and partners, including local schools. It shows that there is a strong demand for skateboarding and action sports overall. Now an olympic sport, the old cultural stigmas attached to skating have faded away. All that remains is a desire to get out there and rip.

Forrest partnered with Rumor Boardshop in Edmonton, AB to acquire the gear at a discounted rate. Shop rep Matt Wolff had this to say on the impact of skating and initiatives like Skate North:

“Especially in smaller communities, skateboarding can be a huge outlet for youth, not only physically, but to express themselves artistically as well. It also brings a real sense of community for people. I grew up in a small town in the middle of Alberta, and the people I skateboarded with I still have friendships with to this day.”

We can’t wait to see a new generation of skaters come up and grow the local scene in the North. Keep rolling.