The Council of Forest Industry is awarding a dozen students around the province who are pursuing forestry careers, including one from Quesnel.
Joseph Frisby will receive a 15-hundred dollar scholarship towards his studies.
Susan Yurkovich, the-President and CEO of Council of Forest Industries, said it is a program they are proud of and is a definite bright spot for them as well.
“There are lots of challenges today, but what’s really exciting is talking about young people who are making a choice to come to this sector. Lots of people before them and lots of people in the future, we welcome them and we want to encourage people to do that, which is why COFI and its member companies are providing a little financial support to help make those decisions just a little bit easier.”
Yurkovich added they view it as an investment.
“It’s an investment for sure, and when you look at the sectors, we’re in a very challenging time from an economic perspective, and when you look at the sectors of our economy that can help lift out of what is a very difficult economic situation. Forestry is one of them and it’s a foundational industry in the province of British Columbia, but it’s also an industry that has been able to work largely through this pandemic and to keep people safe, and I think that is really important because the world is looking for more wood products from sustainably managed forests that can help with the carbon challenge we’re all facing.”
Frisby is studying natural resources and forest technology at the College of New Caledonia.
COFI established its forestry scholarship back in 2007.
The 2020 scholarship winners are:
- Samantha Rush, Victoria, studying to be a forest technician at Vancouver Island University
- Morgan Wood, Prince George, studying to be a welder at the College of New Caledonia
- Dylan Strelaeff, Castlegar, studying forest technology at Selkirk College
- Olivia Card, Monte Creek, studying forest and natural areas management at BC Institute of Technology
- Patrick Vahi, Vanderhoof, studying natural resources management at the University of Northern British Columbia
- Joseph Frisby, Quesnel, studying natural resources and forest technology at the College of New Caledonia
- Darcy Green, Abbotsford, studying forest and natural areas management at BC Institute of Technology
- Alexander Itcush, Port Moody, studying forest technology at Selkirk College
- Jennifer Lindley, Nanaimo, studying to be a forestry resource technician at Vancouver Island University
- Ethan Bisschop, Smithers, studying forest and natural areas management at the BC Institute of Technology
- Oliver Kildaw, Smithers, studying environmental engineering at the University of Northern British Columbia
- Skyler Penninga, Smithers, studying forestry at the University of Northern British Columbia
– with files from George Henderson, My Cariboo Now staff