While originally from Thurso Que, Pelletier moved to the Pontiac region in 1967 to work at the paper mill at Portage du Fort. He worked there until he retired in 2003.

Pelletier helped start the Pontiac Scholarship Fund when one of his friends suggested they . . .

should form a bursary committee to help young men and women pursue an education.

“I earned my living in the county of Pontiac, and I think I owe this to the people here,” said Pelletier.

The scholarships are funded by a variety of local community and business groups, like the Lions and Lionette clubs, or the Agricultural Society, and are primarily targeted at students who do not come from financially privileged backgrounds.

“If a young man or young woman averages 98 per cent in school, they will get scholarships from the Lions Club, the universities and so on,” said Pelletier. “But a young kid that is averaging 65 per cent knows that in order to pursue an education he is going to need some financial help.”

For this reason, the Pontiac Scholarship Fund considers both the academic achievements of students, and the income of themselves and their parents.

“We are averaging 26 to 27 bursaries a year that are $1,000 each,” he said. “And they can be the field of agriculture, health, trade, art, etc.,” said Pelletier.

Ten years ago the group also began offering scholarships that are tied to community service.

“If you’re involved with a food bank or tutoring young students, that qualifies you for our bursary for community involvement,” he said.

Pelletier hopes that through the bursaries given out by the fund, the youth of the region are given a chance to thrive despite the rough economic times in the region.

“[Pontiac] is not a rich region,” he said “And it’s hard to get good work and good paying jobs. Before the mill closed, there were a lot of good paying jobs. All these jobs are gone now.”

And the Pontiac Scholarship Fund has helped people.

Just one example is Morgan Welburn, originally from Quyon, who now co-owns an optometrist practice in Renfrew.

“I banked on it to help me pay for all of those extra expenses, ‘’ said Welbrun. “Like textbooks, for example, cost about $500 per semester.

Welburn, who now is a donor to the Pontiac Scholarship Fund herself, believes financial help for students is essential.

“The cost of post-secondary education is constantly rising and that’s certainly a barrier for a lot of students,’’ said Welburn. “When they’re thinking of seeking post-secondary education and coming from a rural community like the Pontiac, there’s even more of a barrier because you’ve got to commute to where you need to go. I worked two jobs while putting myself through university, so any little bit helps.”

Students hoping to apply for bursaries need to live in the Pontiac. The deadline for the next round of funding is May 27. People are encouraged to visit the fund’s website to learn more. https://pontiac.westernquebec.ca/pontiac-scholarship-fund/.

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