Second World War veteran donates $2.4M to MRU to fund scholarships for Indigenous and women pilots
Calgary's next generation of pilots will likely look different than previous aviation graduating classes as a result of the generosity of a 97-year-old veteran of the Second World War.
Ken Lett — who flew Spitfires with the Royal Canadian Air Force and survived the invasion of Normandy — has donated $2.4 million to Mount Royal University's aviation program.
A portion of the funds have been earmarked for scholarships and bursaries with a focus on assisting students from underrepresented groups including Indigenous Canadians and women.
"Aviation has been my life, I just love flying," said Lett, who now resides in Victoria, B.C., in a statement released Tuesday. "My heart is full of joy when I think of helping young people have careers in aviation."
His generosity will also help fund the maintenance of aircraft and MRU's flight simulator for commercial pilot licence training.
"As we emerge from the pandemic and the aviation sector takes flight, Mount Royal University aviation students will continue to be in high demand," says Deanna Wiebe, chair of the aviation department at MRU. "The Mount Royal Aviation Diploma stands out as it offers students the opportunity to graduate with both the academic qualifications and the in-flight training needed for careers in the aviation industry.
"This gift will help us reach even higher and let more students achieve their dreams."
After serving Canada during the Cold War, the Ontario native moved to Calgary in 1978 and, alongside his partners, created Executive Flight Centre Fuel Services which thrived during the oil boom.
MRU plans to expand its two-year aviation diploma program —which the school has offered for more than 50 years — into a four-year degree program with an expanded focus on business and managerial training.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment rate for students who entered the second year of the two-year program was 100 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.