Sustainable Buildings Canada is pleased to announce that in 2019 we will be supporting 3 college students in the pursuit of their educational goals. After a review of potential candidates, SBC has selected the following individuals as recipients of a $1,000 bursary:

• Jean-Francois Brodeur
• Kyle McGowan
• Priyanka Pai

How does the bursary program work?

Candidates for the bursary must be enrolled in a post-secondary education institution and provide proof of acceptance and enrolment. Programs eligible for the bursary should be focused in engineering, environmental, building science and planning, or trades training that support those disciplines, however candidates in other disciplines that support the industry in areas such as policy, law and finance are also be considered. Candidates should have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in the sector and have experience volunteering or supporting SBC programs and initiatives. The Board of SBC selects candidates at its sole discretion on the basis of recommendations from stakeholders, partners and academia.

Read more about this year’s successful candidates:

Jean-Francois Brodeur

Ever since becoming aware of pollution as a young boy, Jean-Francois has wanted to make a difference and restore the balance. Nowadays, being a carpenter and a builder, he has witnessed and experienced the harsh reality that the construction industry is responsible for a very high amount of waste and pollution.Having started his building career as a timber framer, and having a strong interest in natural buildings from the beginning, Jean-Francois often uses structures from the Middle Ages as a reference for sustainability. Those buildings might not have been perfect in every way however we can draw inspiration from the principles and concepts that are still relevant today. If we use technology with a strategic approach, there are no valid excuses not to reach a high level of comfort while at the same time minimizing the impact on the ecosystem. Jean-Francois remains continuously open and flexible to new ideas and to changing his habits, and is well positioned to influence and educate the population into taking incremental steps towards sustainable construction.

Kyle McGowan

A passion for learning and commitment to environmental sustainability have guided Kyle through his career and educational pursuits. With a background in carpentry, he was formally introduced to sustainable building and building science while working with one of the leading residential renovation companies in Toronto. As an employee, on top of his daily tasks, he elected to take on key roles in the company’s waste management, air tightness, and indoor air quality programs. It was through hands-on experience while building healthy and energy efficient homes that he was inspired to enter the Architectural Technology program at George Brown College. During his educational tenure, Kyle has been committed to using his knowledge of building techniques to help influence innovative and functional design. In addition, Kyle aspires to effect change on a policy level as we move towards a more sustainable urban agenda with the ultimate goal of carbon and energy neutrality in our cities.

Priyanka Pai

Priyanka is an architect and artist with a strong affinity for languages in her final semester in the Energy Management PG program at Algonquin College. She worked for the Ottawa chapter of SBC while graduating with a degree in Green Architecture in 2018. She is an honest and driven individual whose professional career has been a direct product of her learnings in undergrad school about art, and architecture and how buildings work. However, she believes what refined her focus and approach to things early on was the way she was made to read a lot as a child by her mother, and the way her art teacher’s lectures would completely transform the way she would grow to perceive the world. They left her with skills that would help her become a successful combatant if this world were a battlefield. With her undying passion for sustainability, she relentlessly advocates judicious management of resources and utilities and hopes to contribute to reducing the global carbon footprint in every way that she can. She strongly believes that change begins from oneself and tries her best to influence her microcosm. She associates herself with the word Meraki, defined as: (v.) “to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.” Any work. And she truly lives by that. With her enthusiasm and perseverance, she is prepared to dive into the workforce shortly with a vision of fostering a sustainable and harmonized world for the future generations that is filled with creative, regenerative solutions that are climate-responsive.

Find out more about our 2018, 2017 & 2016 Student Bursary awardees.