1st recipient named in scholarship honouring 2022 shooting victim in Fort Smith, N.W.T.

A new scholarship fund has been established in Fort Smith, N.W.T., honouring the memory of a local man who was tragically killed last year in a shooting in the community.

The Jordan Tourangeau Scholarship Fund pays tribute to a man who friends say was an amazing husband, dad and "true friend to all."

Tourangeau was killed in Fort Smith in March 2022 in a shooting incident that shook the community and prompted a three-day manhunt for the killer. Police later charged a 17-year-old with second degree murder. The youth is still in custody awaiting trial. 

Tourangeau, 50, was a well-known tradesperson in Fort Smith who at the time of his death was acting senior administrative officer at the local health centre.

The annual scholarship will award an aspiring apprentice who exemplifies the qualities Tourangeau was known for.

Craig Walsh was a good friend of Tourangeau's and one of the founding directors of the fund.

"He was very knowledgeable. He was good at what he did," said Walsh. "He was really good with people. And if he didn't know, he wasn't afraid to ask. So he always learned from others."

The idea for the scholarship came from a group of Tourangeau's friends who wanted to keep his memory alive so that his legacy would not be forgotten.

"[Tourangeau was] this person who started as a journeyman mechanic, a journeyman carpenter and next thing was running the hospital," said Walsh, referring to Tourangeau's determination.

"[He] was a true learner from others, and we wanted [Jordan] to be just never lost and forgotten by his friends and by the community."

1st recipient named

The first recipient of the scholarship this year is Matthew Walsh. Matthew is Craig Walsh's son, which meant Craig didn't take part in the selection committee this year.

Matthew is a fourth-year heavy equipment technician who went to school at Aurora College and Red Deer Polytechnic. This award is extra-special to him for a number of reasons.

"I knew Jordan as a very close friend and kind of a father figure as well. And he was really a good role model for me," Matthew said. "So it's definitely an honour."

Matthew was born and raised in Fort Smith. He completed his apprenticeship in the diamond mines but left just over a year ago to start his company, Walsh's Heavy Duty Repairs.

Craig said he's incredibly proud of his son.

"He's got a work ethic like nobody's business, he'd work seven days a week," he said. "He's proving himself to the community just in terms of how much he's being called to go work."

Tourangeau would also be proud of him, Craig added, especially the fact that Matthew took his own path and started his own business and has been successful at it.

"He wasn't afraid [and] he's not looking back," Craig said. "I would think if [Jordan] had the opportunity, would gladly be shaking his hand and giving him a big hug,"

Matthew said he hopes the scholarship inspires others. He said it's important to have pride in your work because people will notice.

"You know, it's your career, not just a job. You want to be happy to go to work and do the best that you can," he said. "Jordan was always trying to be the best at whatever he was doing." 

The Jordan Tourangeau Scholarship Fund will award $1,000 annually to one recipient who's a former Paul William Kaeser (PWK) High School student. Craig stated the student didn't necessarily have to graduate from PWK as long as they attended at some point.

"There's many apprentices that just never did actually get that piece of paper but are amazing in their field," he said.

The recipient must also be in good standing with the apprenticeship board, hard-working, reliable, and passionate about their trade. They must also demonstrate an open willingness to learn from the experience and knowledge of others — a quality Craig said Jordan was known for, and that Matthew also embodies.

"He doesn't want to make it look like he knows it all," Craig said. "He's quick to listen to others. And that's a quality that really stood out for Jordan."

Craig said Tourangeau was one of a kind, a great friend who had no enemies. He said Tourangeau could seem quiet and reserved but he knew how to joke around and always had something funny to say.

"He was such a kind person and a hard-working individual ... what happened to him was so tragic," he said.