Robert Wilmot, a member of Millbrook First Nation, is the recipient of the 2016 ATCO Structures & Logistics Indigenous Carpentry Scholarship Award. This 30-year-old’s desire to pursue carpentry school and serve as a leader within his community makes him a perfect candidate for this award.

While working at his drywall company, Robert started to take on small renovation projects that required carpentry skills. Upon realizing the benefits of carpentry and how it would apply to his drywall company, he aspired to learn more about the trade, and started the carpentry program at the NSCC Pictou Campus in September 2015, finishing the program in May 2017. Committed to completing his certification for himself, his wife and two beautiful daughters, Robert commutes one hour every morning to the campus. It has been a long road, but he and his family are ready for him to step aside from the workforce and focus on his schooling.

Robert has brought his passion to life and has created many things including an inset inside cabinet out of wood and jib rock that his TV sits in. He helped make a sledding hill for the children in his community so they can have access to a safe area to sled. With the trees cut down, he was able to make the trees into log benches. He has also helped out with several projects in his community, such as renovating basements, a Band Office project, building decks, fixing steps, among others. He had gathered a team of volunteers to rebuild and pai ...