PGAA and BCAC Create Scholarship Honouring Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan
Prince George, BC – Today marks the first full day of the BC Aviation Council’s (BCAC) Annual Conference being held in Prince George. The three-day conference started off with the announcement of a scholarship named after Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief, Dolleen Logan. The Chief Dolleen Logan Aviation and Aerospace Scholarship worth $3,000 annually will be awarded to any self-identified indigenous person in Canada. Its focus is to support an education program in BC that leads to a career in aviation and aerospace, broadly defined.
Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan stated “I am honoured on behalf of our nation to have this new BC Aviation Council scholarship in my name. The creation of this scholarship to support an Indigenous person from across Canada who wants to have a career in aviation and aerospace industry is a sincere gesture of Truth and Reconciliation of the part of the BC Aviation Council and its members. Earlier this year our nation signed a Collaboration Agreement with the Prince George Airport Authority that will see us work together moving forward. The announcement today of a new scholarship for an Indigenous person from across Canada who wishes to pursue a career in aviation or aerospace is proof the industry in BC is serious about developing closer working relations with First Nations. I am truly honoured to be part of this positive initiative.”
“The aviation and aerospace industry is struggling with a critical labour shortage. To solve this crisis we must attract new entrants from under-represented groups in our industry such as Indigenous Youth and Students from smaller communities says BC Aviation Council, Chair, Heather McCarley. “To this end we have established this permanent scholarship in partnership with the Prince George Airport Authority to thank Chief Logan for her gracious welcome.”
“When this scholarship was first brought up we felt it was an initiative we wanted to get behind as it fits extremely well with our core values” says Prince George Airport Authority President and CEO Gordon Duke. “Not only does it promote education in the aviation sector, it focuses on First Nation’s students and expanding their opportunities to further their education. We hope one day the recipient of this scholarship may come work for us here at YXS.”
Interested Students, and people changing careers or reentering the workforce, are encouraged to review all scholarships and applications at BCAviationCouncil.org. The BC Aviation Council administers over $100,000 a year in awards – Canada’s largest aviation and aerospace scholarship program. Applications open January 15th each year.