Our Focus

Where It Began

When Kaydance began grade ten at Walkerton District Community School, we saw our daughter flourish like never before. She had never really played sports even though she was always very active. She had never truly participated in any type of trades even though she was always very curious to know how things worked and loved being creative. She had her first trades class in grade nine at John Diefenbaker School but after switching over to Walkerton, she immersed herself in both athletics and trades, in and out of school. In school she pushed and succeeded in helping with the restart of the Girls Rugby Team, played on the Senior Girls Volleyball Team, was a call in for the Girls Soccer Team, ran hurdles and tried for throwing shotput and javelin on the School Track Team, and earned a spot on the Girls Softball Team. She also took the Women’s Personal Fitness course as well as the Walkerton Exceptional Athlete Training course (WEAT). She ended up earning Top Mark in WEAT in her first semester of taking this course. Kaydance also threw herself into the trades courses, taking all of them: Auto, Carpentry and Welding. Through these courses she had the opportunity to learn how to use many tools, saws, machinery and torches. She brought home beautiful creations from these classes and earned Top Mark in Auto. Outside of school, Kaydance loved to work with her hands, stay active, and be outdoors. She joined the Tara Twins ISA Girls Softball Team and found that she loved everything to do with the sport – the challenge, the skills, the drive there and back, the camaraderie, the team and the coaches, she fell in love with softball. She also joined the Girls Big Brue Volleyball Club where she had the opportunity to play in tournaments in Goderich and Walkerton. In her second season of Big Bruce, she became the Green Team’s biggest cheerleader, coming up with witty catchphrases and cheers, yelling them loud for all fans to hear. Aside from extracurricular sports, Kaydance loved to fish, garden, help with fixing and building things around the house, and cook. She was always busy doing something with her hands. Even in the jobs that she worked, she had her hands busy. First at Midwest Co-op in Hanover, then to Side Street Pizza in Chesley, then to LTM Kennels outside of Elmwood. She had just been hired by Arran-Elderslie Municipality in the Parks & Recreation Department for the Summer of 2025 before the accident that took her life.
Because of Kaydance’s passion, persistence, and drive in the trades and athletics, we decided that we cannot sit by and watch these school programs suffer from budget cuts and unfair funding. As parents, we watched our daughter grow into the beautiful young woman that she was through these school programs. We never want to see a student go without these programs so we decided to step up.

Our Mission

• To help maintain the Athletic and Trades courses in high schools throughout Bluewater District School Board so that all students may have the opportunity to be active and learn important skills.
• To help fund buses for school sports teams throughout Bluewater District School Board so that student athletes and coaches are traveling in the safest way possible to away games and tournaments.
• To provide athletic and trades needs to students in need within Bluewater District School Board so that every student may have the same opportunities that Kaydance did.
• To be a voice for change in policies, procedures, safety measures, and budgeting throughout Bluewater District School Board, the Province of Ontario, and the Country of Canada.
• To offer guidance for school staff during their time of tragedy and crisis so that they do not feel lost or alone.
• To offer a human connection with someone who has faced the loss of a child, to school staff and students during their time of loss and grief so they do not feel alone in their emotions and thoughts.

Our Goals

• We will begin by fundraising to help support the purchase of materials, equipment, and tools for the athletic and trades courses in Walkerton District Community School. As we grow, we will help support the purchase of these items at other high schools within Bluewater District School Board.
• We will begin by fundraising to help pay for buses for WDCS sports teams to travel safely to and from their away games and tournaments. As we grow, we will help pay for buses that are used for sports teams at other schools within Bluewater District School Board.
• We will begin by giving our contact information to WDCS Athletic and Trades teachers so that when a student in need comes to them, they have someone to call for help purchasing needed items. As we grow, we will reach out to other schools and help students with their athletic and trades needs throughout Bluewater District School Board.
• We will begin by advocating for change in Bluewater District School Board’s policies and procedures outlining Mental Health, Tragedy and Crisis, transportation for sports teams, funding, and communication. We will also begin by reaching out to the Provincial and Federal Government to ask them to look over their educational funding and demand them to explain why our rural schools cannot afford buses for sports teams and materials for trades classes. As we grow, we hope to visit Ottawa and talk to our Provincial and Federal Governments in person so we can introduce them to our tragic loss and beg them to do something about the funding for our schools so our community hopefully never has to go through this great of a loss again.
• We will begin by attending WDCS regularly to offer mental health support and guidance to school staff as they continue their journey through grief. As we grow, we will attend other schools within Bluewater District School Board and offer guidance to staff during times of tragedy and crisis.
• We will begin by visiting WDCS on a regular basis and simply be there to support mental health for staff and students struggling with their loss and grief, we will offer a shoulder and an ear to cry with, to listen, and to share stories of those we lost. As we grow, we will visit other schools within Bluewater District School Board to simply be there for staff and students as they walk the path of loss and grief.