Major endowment honours Perth Campus heritage carpentry graduate
Posted on Tuesday, May 10th, 2022
Kingston-area craftsman exemplified College mission and values
The family of Peter Ramsay, a graduate of the Algonquin College heritage carpentry program, has made a major endowment to the college to set up two bursaries in his memory.
Karen and Howard Goodfellow established the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Entrance Bursary and the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Bursary to honour their son-in-law.
Peter, who ran his own heritage carpentry and millwork business in the Kingston, Ont., area, graduated from the Heritage Carpentry and Millwork program at the Perth Campus in 1994. He also instructed in the program in 2001. Peter died in May 2021, at the age of 51.
Remembered as a kind man who loved life, found joy in the everyday, and lived to help others, Peter was greatly respected for his work, which he approached with an eye to historical sympathy and excellence. Buildings in and around Kingston bear his legacy, and the bursaries form a legacy of another kind.
“Peter didn’t want any glory for himself. He wanted to turn attention to others and to encourage others,” said his father-in-law, Howard Goodfellow. “We hope that these bursaries are an inspiration to the recipients, that they will develop the same passion for heritage carpentry as Peter had and see him as an example of what’s possible.”
Each year in perpetuity, two $1,000 bursaries will be awarded, one to a first-year student and the other to a student in their second year of the Algonquin College Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program.
Recipients in the bursary’s first five years will also receive a copy of The Cabin on Howe Island: A History by George Thomson and Judi Beaman, generously donated by the authors. The book tells the story of the authors’ 19th century farmhouse-turned-cottage and includes a chapter about the two-year restoration carried out by Peter and his team.
“Peter exemplified the Algonquin College mission to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success,” said Mark Savenkoff, Vice President, Advancement and Strategy. “His life was a demonstration of our College values, in his care for others, the integrity with which he approached his work, his respect for the buildings he worked on, and the learning he did as he grew in his profession.
“We are grateful that his family chose to honour him by helping future heritage carpenters reach their own dreams giving them a model to strive for.”
The Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Entrance Bursary and the Peter Ramsay Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Bursary will first be awarded in fall 2022. It is open to Algonquin College students enrolled in the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program.
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