The Construction Foundation of British Columbia (CFBC) has launched the Timber Wolf Legacy Fund on behalf of the family of Rene B. Delisle.

Delisle passed away in September 2021 and to honour his memory, his children have established the Timber Wolf Legacy Fund to provide tuition assistance and training support for those entering or continuing education in the construction trades.

The Timber Wolf Legacy Fund will provide financial support to Indigenous learners of the construction trades helping remove barriers and give them a real and fair chance at success to obtain skills and training in the construction trades.

“We established this fund in recognition of dad’s passion for knowledge and the sacrifices he made as a young apprentice and inspired entrepreneur,” Delisle’s children Roy, Dawn, Connie and Amanda said in a statement. “He demonstrated this commitment to learning throughout his entire life – teaching and encouraging others to take up the craft.”

By the age of 17, Rene had earned his first trade ticket as a saw filer and went on to gain skills as a carpenter, plumber, electrician and welder.

Eligible applicants will receive up to $500 per semester to be applied to tuition and training support costs incurred at any qualified institution in British Columbia. Two bursaries will be available during each calendar year, one in the spring and one in the fall. More information about the fund is available here.

The BuildForce Canada 2020–2029 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast reports that from 2020-2029, the construction industry will need to recruit over 300,000 workers; many from underrepresented groups, including youth, older workers, women, immigrants and Indigenous peoples.