Yellowknife Community Foundation Announces 2020 Scholarship Recipients YKCF Scholarships doubled as part of COVID-19 response

1 August 2020

The Yellowknife Community Foundationtoday announced the award of 54 scholarships valued at a total of $104,000, the largest single award the Foundation has made in its 27 year history.

Robin Greig, President of the Yellowknife Community Foundation – “scholarships were awarded in Fine and Performing Arts, Health Care and Social Work, Sport and Recreation, Leadership and Community Development, Trades, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Air Transportation, Finance and Management, Administrative Support, and Second Language studies to students from across the Northwest Territories and some from Nunavut and Yukon”

Laurie Gault, Grants Committee Chair for the Yellowknife Community Foundation – “Students across the north are facing an unprecedented drop in summer employment opportunities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were very pleased to be able to double the number of students receiving scholarships to help out.”

The Yellowknife Community Foundation also acknowledged Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine for stepping up to support the increase in Foundation Scholarships this year by making a direct contribution to assist with the increase for Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide interested individuals and organizations 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.

Aurora College Scholarship
Marta Goodwin

Adolf Duesterhus STEM Scholarship Fund
Seamus Daly and Bethany Giovanetto

Alice And Randy Daniels Music Fund
Grace Clark and Diana Rockwell

Butler-Hushagen Health Education Fund
Kleinberg Fernandez and Zahir Hirani

Chris Argue Memorial Fund
Jack Kotaska and Kelvin Kotchilea

Con Employees’ Benevolent Fund
Vivianne Pauzé and Cassidy Taylor

Doug Bothamley Memorial Fund
Max Dragon and David Phypers

Rio Tinto Diavik Comm Scholarship Fund
Patrick Adzin Jr., Kelvin Kotchilea, Gillian McNaughton, Allana Nakashook-Zettler, Nancy Ngo and Jada Xie Doctor

David J. Ramsden Memorial Scholarship
Julianna Neudorf and Victoria Rankin

David Sutherland Memorial Fund
Ella Kokelj and Jack Panayi

Enough Talk, Hurry Up and Do It Already
Safiya Hashi

Elaine (Sweet) Whitford Scholarship Fun
Emma Cameron and Roxanne Kotchilea

Fine & Performing Arts Scholarship
Kacie Hall and Rankin Stewart

Gary Robinson Memorial Fund
Henry Law

Helping Children Soar Scholarship
Two awards

Jenny Gamble-Fournier Memorial Fund
Darian Erasmus and Abigail Thompson

Jonas Konge Memorial Fund
Alexander Affleck and Elycia Monaghan

John Tumchewics Memorial Fund
Kurt Petersen

Legislative Assembly of the NWT Fund
Paulina Ross and Christopher Yurris

Luke Charpentier Memorial Fund
Kirianne Ashley and Alannis McKee

Lena Gosselin Memorial Fund
Marta Goodwin and Luke Heal

Lilly Borges-Oldham Language Scholarship
Ashley Ens

Mary Beth Miller Memorial Fund
Ella Kokelj and Jack Panayi

Northern Aviation Scholarship
Tyana Nutt and Robyn Quitte

Pat McMahon Memorial Fund
Clair Littlefair and Anusa Sivalingam

Randy McBride Hockey Project Fund
Deanne Whenham and Zach Zorn

Wally12Million Arts Fund
Grace Clark and Carson Asmundson

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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.