Maureen Tonge “Living Your Legacy” Fund – Yellowknife Community Foundation

8 October 2020

Maureen Tonge, 52, made her final transition on her healing journey at home on October 5, 2020, surrounded by her loving husband, her twin, and her parents. Her younger sisters, extended family, and friends supported her from afar.

Born in Saint John and raised in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Maureen called Yellowknife her second home since 1992 when she moved North to begin her teaching career. She spent her entire profession teaching Art, French, Yoga/Fitness, CALM, and other subjects at École Sir John Franklin High School where she gifted students and colleagues alike with her unending passion, joyful enthusiasm, and positive energy. Kundalini yoga became her calling over many years and she travelled to Toronto, India, Greece, and New Mexico following her dream and making lifelong friends from around the world. More recently, she was a founder “soul” of Collective Soul Space where she introduced many Yellowknifers to this calling.

She married her life partner, Robert Charpentier, on July 18, 2009 in “Maritime Kitchen Party” style and their two families have remained lovingly intertwined ever since. She is survived by “her rock” Robert, her adoring parents Raymond & Diane Tonge; beloved twinnie, Kirsten; and loving younger sisters, Jocelyn (Greg, Keltie & Seth) Smith; and Melanie (Sean, Gillian & Hilary) McClelland, her stepchildren, her sweet Tillie, as well as her extended family of many aunts, uncles, and cousins and the “Castor Clan” extended Charpentier family. She is predeceased by her precious stepson, “Lukey” Charpentier, her Alexander and Tonge grandparents, her Uncles Gren Alexander and Ken Golding, father-in-law, Nap Charpentier, brother-in-law, Richard Griebel, and her beloved Scooby.

The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to Maureen’s extensive network of friends within Yellowknife and around the world who have supported her healing journey over the almost 20 months since her diagnosis with glioblastoma multiforme (brain cancer). The volume of expressions of love has been overwhelming and so appreciated.

A Celebration of Life will be held at some point in the future. Donations in her memory may be made to The Maureen Tonge “Living Your Legacy” Fund through Yellowknife Community Foundation.

How to donate

Donations can be made on our website, online through CanadaHelps.org or you can use your credit card to make donations directly to the Foundation by mail, e-mail or phone.

You can also complete the donation form and mail it to the Yellowknife Community Foundation at:

Yellowknife Community Foundation
P.O. Box 1620
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 2P2

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Impact Story - Skate North -...

July 29, 2026

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.

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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.