Two forestry students from the Northwest Territories are the first recipients of the Adam Yeadon Memorial Scholarship, which offers financial support to northern students pursuing an education in forestry or wildfire management.
Alfred (AJ) Lawrance and Mackenzie McDonald of the NWT each received $5000 scholarships to support their post-secondary studies in forestry related fields.
Recipient biographies
Alfred (AJ) Lawrance
Alfred, known to most as AJ, is a forestry student at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, British Columbia. He was born and raised in Yellowknife, and graduated from Sir John Franklin High School. AJ has worked in the NWT during the summer wildfire seasons, and played important roles in wildfire preparedness, training, and response. He most recently served as a Fire Technician working with wildfire crews in the North Slave region and playing a leadership role in initial and sustained attack operations.
He plans to continue working in wildfire management for as long as possible, and transition into forestry management in the NWT to help support and revitalize this important sector.
Mackenzie McDonald
Mackenzie is a forestry technology student studying at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. A graduate of East Three Secondary in Inuvik and of Métis heritage, Mackenzie returns north each summer to fight fires on one of our local wildfire crews. This past summer, she was deployed to work on wildfires in every region of the NWT before returning to classes in the fall.
Mackenzie plans to advance her education in forestry to gain a broader perspective and open new career paths in forestry, while continuing to return each summer to advance her already-budding career in wildfire management.
Quote(s)
"I am proud to support the next generation of forestry professionals in the Northwest Territories through this scholarship, honoring Adam Yeadon legacy. I wish AJ and Mackenzie all the best in their studies and have full confidence in their ability to achieve their goals. Their dedication to wildfire management and the protection of NWT communities is truly commendable and deeply appreciated."
- Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Quick facts
- The Adam Yeadon Memorial Scholarship was established in 2023 to help northern students as they pursue forestry and wildfire management-related post-secondary education.
- It was established to commemorate the contributions and memory of wildland firefighter Adam Yeadon, who lost his life on the fire line in 2023.
- This is the first intake of the scholarship program.
- The 2025 intake will be advertised in early 2025.
Related links
For more information
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife Northwest Territories
Canada X1A 2L9
www.gov.nt.ca
