Renewable energy company Drax has donated $572,715 to seven Canadian non-profits from the latest funding period of the Drax Foundation. The grantees are Dexterra Community Initiatives, The Exploration Place, Living Lakes, MindFuel, Raincoast Conservation, Trans Canada Trail Foundation, and Williams Lake First Nation. These donations will continue work already being done as well as new programs across Canada.
$60,000 will fund Living Lakes and their award-winning charitable water science and stewardship programs. Working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as well as many other diverse partners, Living Lakes programs work to protect freshwater by building community capacity. This funding will build a Foreshore Integrated Management Planning survey on Francois Lake in the Nechako Watershed and its important riparian zones and multiple freshwater species.
“Living Lakes Canada is a true partner of the Nechako Watershed Roundtable (NWR), actively engaging in watershed activities and connecting with residents,” said Tasha Peterson, Regional Program Lead, Northern Interior Region, Fraser Basin Council. “The information gained through the FIMP process supports the implementation of the NWR’s Large Lakes Monitoring Strategy, giving us a better understanding of impacts to individual lakes, the watershed as a whole and the actions that communities can take to support sustainability.”
“Drax values the ability to contribute and support the communities we live, and operate in,” said Sandy Sung, Drax’s Canadian Community Manager. “With funding, these organizations and their important programs will continue to benefit and better communities with new and expanded programs.” said Sung.
With a $100,000 donation, MindFuel will continue their important innovation and STEM programs for British Columbia and Alberta youth through project-based learning and hands on training. Their Tech Futures Challenge and Mini Challenges programs offer introductions to robotics, automation, coding and minilabs to students, including Indigenous youth in rural areas. The programs also provide tools to teachers to support their confidence in offering innovation and project-based learning enrichment programs to their students.
“I’d like to thank the Drax Foundation for its generous and continued support of our STEM innovation programming,” says Cassy Weber, CEO, MindFuel. “In our recent 10-year study, we learned that 87% of youth surveyed reported having an increased interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, due to positive attitudinal impacts they experienced through engagement in our programming. Additionally, 95% of youth reported that our programming positively influenced their post- secondary and career choices in a related STEM field.”
The Exploration Place will receive $120,000 towards their high-quality STEAM education programs. This round of funding will allow the expansion of barrier-free STEAM education to students, homeschoolers, preschoolers, and the broader community in the 2025-2026 school year.
“The Drax Foundation has supported our school programs since 2023, and that ongoing investment has been transformational,” says Robyn Curtis, Manager, Development. “Their funding allows us to remove financial barriers and bring high-quality, hands-on STEAM learning to students across Northern BC. We’re deeply grateful for their partnership and the opportunity to continue inspiring the next generation of curious minds.”
The Drax Foundation provides grant funding for non-profit organizations that share our commitment to improving equitable access to STEM education, nature and community green spaces, and measures that improve energy. In 2024, the Drax Foundation donated over $480,000 to organizations in these areas committed to enhancing their communities.
To learn more about the Drax Foundation and Drax’s community efforts, visit Our communities – Drax Canada or contact [email protected] for additional information.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Contact Information:
Caroline Bleay
E: [email protected]
T: 780-502-1571
About Drax
Drax Group’s mission is to help meet the world’s increasing demand for secure energy, sustainably, and to reach net zero by the end of 2040 across our value chain. By supporting biodiversity across our sites and in our value chain by the end of 2030 and seeking to make a positive contribution to the lives and livelihoods of our colleagues, communities, and workers in our supply chain, Drax is committed to being climate, nature, and people positive in our operations.
Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com/ca/
Pellet production and supply:
The Group has 18 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around five million tons a year.
The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests that deliver climate, nature and people positive outcomes, adhering to strict compliance, traceability, and third-party certification standards. These pellets are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.
Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.
