About Ron
Kamloops and the mineral exploration community lost a great friend when Ronald C. Wells passed away from cancer on February 10th, 2007. Ron was the principal of Kamloops Geological Services and was well known in the industry and the broader community for his passion and volunteer work in geological education. At the time of his passing, Ron was President of the Kamloops Exploration Group (KEG) Society, a post he held for 12 years.
During Ron’s tenure, KEG’s annual conference grew to be the largest and best exploration conference in interior BC. Through his leadership and drive, KEG provided support for many educational initiatives including prospecting courses, scholarships at area universities, financial support for school programs and field trips, mineral displays and competitions at the Kamloops museum, and a very well attended public lecture series on general topics in geology.
To date, nearly $30,000 has been donated to the Ronald C. Wells Geological Education Fund. The fund is set up as a permanent endowment with the BC Interior Community Foundation, a public charitable foundation. Investments are managed by the foundation and income from the endowment supports annual scholarships or other educational awards. The awards are chosen by The University of Victoria.
Open to University of Victoria students entering 3rd or 4th year in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. Candidates must demonstrate financial need. Applications are submitted to University of Victoria.
Recipients
The Ron C. Wells Geological Education Fund has been issued since 2010.
2021
•Grace Wilson, University of Victoria •Kristyn Lang, University of Victoria
2020 • Matteo Gerri, University of Victoria 2019 • Emma Gray, University of Victoria • Grayson Soetart, University of Victoria
Donations can be made to:
BC Interior Community Foundation – Ronald C. Wells Geological Education Fund
The Ken Daughtry Geoscience Award was established at the Okanagan University College by KEG. This annual scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Degree Program, entering either 3rd or 4th year. The scholarship was created in memory of geologist Ken Daughtry who passed away suddenly during the summer of 2003.
The sudden passing of geologist Ken Daughtry was a great loss to all his friends and colleagues at KEG. He was a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of the organization and always had something valuable to contribute. Ken, during his retirement, was still highly active in the geological community, research and a firm believer in passing on knowledge to the new generation of geologists. It was always an easy task to get Ken to volunteer a talk or presentation, harder to get him to stop.
The KEG organization (like Ken) is a very strong promoter of geological education at all levels. In fond memory of Ken, an annual $1500 scholarship, the “Ken Daughtry Geoscience Award” was established at the UBC by KEG. This annual scholarship is to be awarded to a student enrolled in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Degree Program, entering either 3rd or 4th year. The candidate is selected on an achievement/need basis on recommendation of the Earth and Environmental Sciences program in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. Friends, associates and others that wish to donate to the scholarship fund are more than welcome to do so. Prospective donors are welcome to email shari.slattery@ubc.ca.
The Ken Daughtry Geoscience Award has been issued since 2004.
2023
• Zoe Crutchfield • Caryn Sidharta
2022
• Jared Brown • Marek Corbell
• Tara Behnsen • Sarah Yuhasz
The David Miller Scholarship is a bursary of $1000 per year set up at the Thompson Rivers University. The scholarship is in memory of David Miller who died accidentally while on a drilling project in the Yukon in 1990.
David Miller was one of the founding members of KEG. David died accidentally while on a drilling project in the Yukon in 1990. A bursary of $1000 per year was set up at the University College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University). It is funded by KEG in his name. David Miller was born in Coquitlam, B.C. in 1935 and graduated from UBC in Geological Engineering in 1959. After graduation he worked in the Beaverlodge uranium camp for Eldorado and subsequently for various mines in B.C. including Britannia, Bluebell, Coast Copper and Bethlehem Copper. In 1977 he joined St. Joseph Exploration, subsequently Sulpetro, conducting exploration programs throughout the Cordillera, and was involved in the discovery of the Mel deposit in the Yukon. He established a successful consulting practice in Kamloops in 1984, and was consulting on the Mel prospect at the time of his death. David Miller was a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of B.C., the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the Geological Association of Canada.
The David Miller Scholarship has been issued since 1997.
• Micah Vogt
• Massimiliano Valiante
• Madeline Rein
$1500 awarded each year to the top mature student enrolled in the School of Trades and Technology at TRU as chosen by the faculty chairs. Preference given to a student over 30 years of age who has recently returned for schooling in order to better his or her life and the lives of those around them.
About John
The first time my dad took me to the area near Hat Creek that would become Pacific Bentonite, it was little more than a small, grassy valley with a ribbon of red and orange rock running through it. But where I saw sagebrush, rocks and a barbed wire fence, he saw a future.
Standing on a hill overlooking the area some 30 years ago, my dad outlined the plans percolating in his head. Which areas would be opened up and what kind of equipment would be needed. Where the piles of rock would go. How the road would be designed to get the trucks in and out.
Within a few years, he told me, the spot where we were standing would be gone, carved out to make way for the growing operation. It was hard to fathom at the time, his plans almost incomprehensibly large. But as hard working as he was intelligent, he spent the next decades bringing those plans and dreams to fruition. And each time I returned to “the mine” (as it became known in our family) it was always bigger, and just a little better. As goals and objectives were reached, new ones were created. Any and all uses for the clay being taken from the ground were explored — decorator rock, infill for ball diamonds and sports fields, backfill for construction and material for walking paths to name a few. Along with wanting to grow the business, my dad often talked about the importance of giving back, at work and in life. Though Pacific Bentonite, he sponsored many sports teams and functions for youth in communities near the mine. He sponsored portions of the educational program at the KEG conference & Trade Show, as well as put in educational hands-on displays at Mining Day. When the communities around Hat Creek saw natural disasters, he was quick to donate and lend a hand where needed. He was also giving back through involvement in numerous organizations; KEG being one of them. In 2005, he joined KEG, serving as a director for three years before becoming president in 2009 for one year then stepping down. He continued to be an active volunteer, helping with several outreach projects, including Mining Day, the annual Conference and Trade Show and the ongoing lecture series. He returned as a director in 2014 and became VP the next year, serving until his passing in 2017. During the last few years, John chaired the lecture series committee, helping to bring in profound speakers from all over the world.
He also made sure the mine would endure after him. For the last several years, my dad worked in close harmony with my older brother, also named John, who has now taken over as operations manager and will lead into the future.
Written by Dave Dormer
The John L. Dormer Award has been issued since 2018.
2024 -Don McKechnie
2023 - Patricia Urbanowski
2022 - Ka Law