SYC fund hopes to start trend toward the trades

George Ryder knows first-hand that his community needs more skilled tradespeople. He owned an automobile dealership before retiring. His son-in-law is a plumber. So when George and his wife Wanda wanted to create a bursary at their local high school, they knew exactly where to focus their efforts.

“The message they wanted to send is that ‘It’s cool to be in the trades,’” says Karen Braden, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Portage and District Inc. “There’s money to be made and there’s always a shortage of tradespeople these days.” After contacting their BMO Nesbitt Burns investment advisor, The George and Wanda Ryder Trades Bursary Fund was established through the Nesbitt Burns Charitable Giving Program. The fund is expected to generate enough income to create a minimum of $1,000 in bursaries for students and the Ryders hope to grow the fund over time.

“We are interested in making sure that our hometown will continue to flourish and create opportunities for young people,” said the Ryders in a news release announcing their fund.

Before they knew it, the Ryders’ new fund quickly started a snowball effect in Portage. The school’s guidance counsellor had been looking for an opportunity to promote the trades to students and parents and this was it. Soon she was giving speeches to the Rotary Club about the need for tradespeople and inviting existing tradespeople to meetings at the school to get their support.

“We work with the school on a number of other bursary funds,” says Braden, “and it was great to see how things fell into place with this one.” The Foundation is in negotiations with the School Division to transfer all of its bursary funds over to the foundation’s management.