“Adolf came to Canada from Germany after enduring the terrible experiences of war on the Russian front and internment in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. He arrived in Canada April 25, 1953, with eight dollars and a train ticket to Edmonton. Arriving in Edmonton, he answered a Giant Mine job ad, and was in Yellowknife drawing a paycheque within two weeks of stepping off the boat. After a year at Giant, Adolf moved to Curry Construction, where he stayed many years running equipment and supplies across the territory; an original ice road catskinner long before the truckers. His experiences are chronicled in the unpublished memoire, Driving Northern Byways: Memories of Northern Ground Transport in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Adolf possessed a passion for advanced physics. Self-taught in one of the most intellectually challenging disciplines, Adolf was also a pioneer in the mindscapes of complex mathematics and theory. He was a contributor to scholarly journals and always at work on explanations of phenomena few of us are aware of, let alone understand. Though a private and perhaps even eccentric man, Adolf was a willing contributor to community projects and a reliable helper to his friends and neighbours. In the closing passage of his book, Adolf pays tribute to the people who welcomed him and worked with him to build a better community. He said, ‘All of the good people helped make Yellowknife what it is today. I salute them all.’ Adolf Duesterhus, a friend of the Yellowknife Community Foundation, passed away on Friday, September 28th, and is survived by two nephews living in Germany.” – Bob Bromley

$5,000

Please note that award amounts vary year by year.

In order to be eligible to apply to the Adolf Duesterhus STEM Scholarship Fund, you must be:

• A resident of Yellowknife for at least the last 2 consecutive years
• Pursuing post-secondary studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)