¶Ä²©ÍøÖ·

Over the years, Barbara Aucoin Wood has established endowments to fund awards at ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ· in memory of her father, her mother, and her husband. In December 2021, she made a further endowment investment and created a fourth award, this time in her own name.

“In reflecting on what would be meaningful to me, I realized that my family and I have received excellent and compassionate care by paramedics on more than one occasion over the years,” said Barbara. “As an expression of gratitude, I chose to invest in the next generation of paramedics by creating the Barbara Aucoin Wood Award for Paramedicine.”

Barbara’s history of supporting ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ· students began in 2003 when she established the Albin J. Aucoin Memorial Award in memory of her father, who served over 30 years in the Canadian Armed Forces as a power plant engineer. She established an endowment to fund the award in perpetuity, and it continues to benefit students in ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ·’s Electrical Technology program.

“My mother and I agreed that investing in education would honour my father’s life’s work and also his passion for teaching others,” said Barbara.

In 2008 Barbara added to her endowment and created a second award in memory of her mother, Isabelle, who received excellent care from her nursing team in a Summerside nursing home prior to her passing. The Isabelle Power Auction Memorial supports students entering the college’s Practical Nursing program.

A third endowment, the Douglas H. Wood Memorial Award, was established in 2013 in memory of Barbara’s late husband. Following a career in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Wood became an instructor and editor of flying magazines that were used for Air ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ· pilot training. He had a passion and talent for art, and many of his pieces are held today in public and private collections throughout ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ·, the United States, and Malaysia. This award supports students in the Graphic Design program.

“For many students, the financial assistance they receive makes their educational dreams a reality, and for others, it provides a motivational boost, knowing that others believe in their potential,” said Jo-Ann Campbell-Boutilier, Executive Director of the ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ· Foundation. “We are so grateful to Barbara for her thoughtful generosity over the last 18 years.  She has made a remarkable impact on the lives and journeys of our students.”

To find out how to establish a scholarship, bursary, or award, contact the ¶Ä²©ÍøÖ· Foundation at (902) 566-9582.

In this picture: Barbara Aucoin Wood sits in front of a piece of art created by her late husband Douglas H. Wood.