The Yellowknife Community Foundation (YKCF) and Skills Canada NWT announce the transfer of the Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund to the Yellowknife Community Foundation.
The Dustin Pidborochynski Scholarship Fund was originally established in 2019, in memory of Dustin (Dusty) Pidborochynski. Dusty was a journeyman welder, and avid supporter of the trades and apprenticeship programs, who sadly lost his life just weeks after being hired as the welding instructor at Ecole St. Patrick’s High School. The purpose of this scholarship fund has not changed and will be to support registered apprentices in the Northwest Territories who are currently pursuing or have recently completed (within that scholarship year) an apprenticeship training program.
Family and friends would say that Dusty was wise beyond his years and always willing to lend a hand. He was teaching in everything that he did and never took the easy way out. In the year before he passed, he had enjoyed coaching young welders and was volunteering his time as a welding technical expert for Skills Canada NWT’s territorial skills competition.
In memory of Dusty, preference for the scholarship fund will be given to students who are registered in a welding apprenticeship, but all registered apprentices, regardless of the trade they are pursuing are encouraged to apply.
The transfer of this scholarship fund from Skills Canada NWT to the Yellowknife Community Foundation will support the longevity of the fund and enhance its accessibility, for NWT students pursuing an apprenticeship and seeking scholarship opportunities.
Quote by Laurie Gault, Chair of the Yellowknife Community Foundation – “We are very pleased to be able to include this scholarship in our Student Awards program. Apprenticeships are a critical skill in high demand in the north and to be able to provide some financial assistance to aspiring welders and other tradespeople is a testament to Dusty’s legacy of helping others. We are very grateful to Dusty’s family and to Skills Canada NWT in making this transfer possible.”
Quote by Blake Moulton, Executive Director of Skills Canada NWT – “Dusty was an incredible supporter of Skills Canada NWT – not only a wonderful, enthusiastic volunteer, but a beloved community member. The ‘Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund’ is a fantastic initiative that not only serves as a way to preserve Dusty’s spirit, but also strengthens skill development via financial assistance to Northwest Territories’ residents, who strive to pursue a career in Welding. Thank you to the Pidborochynski family, as well as the Yellowknife Community Foundation for preserving this initiative, and to support Skills Canada Northwest Territories’ mission to engage NWT youth in the exploration of skilled trade and technology careers.”
Donations to the Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made through CanadaHelps.
