Environment
Education
Social Equity
Arts, Culture & Heritage
Youth
Environment
Education
Arts, Culture & Heritage
Social Equity
Youth
Sandra Plank was born and raised in Kelowna BC. After graduating from Kelowna Secondary School, she moved to Ottawa with her family and received a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Since then, she has lived and worked in different parts of the country. In 2025 she moved to Salmon Arm.
As a child, Sandra took ballet and piano lessons and was active in Girl Guides. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of Guide camps. Through Guiding she made friends and learned useful skills that provided the foundation for later leadership development as well as sparking an interest in crafts and outdoor activities. This is why Girl Guides of Canada – the local districts – is one of the causes supported by the Sandra Plank Endowment Fund.
While Sandra did well in many subjects in school, her interest in engineering began with high school physics. She has come to appreciate the challenges and the opportunities afforded by a career in engineering. Through her work in municipalities, she has also observed that there are many opportunities for women in non-traditional careers including engineering, trades, and technology. Through her endowment fund, she hopes to support more girls and women in pursuing these valuable and rewarding careers.
Sandra enjoys travelling with her sister, and they have visited countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. She appreciates how learning other languages can facilitate learning about different cultures, and she has studied and participated in conversation groups in French, Spanish, and German. She also recognizes that while Canada is a rich and diverse nation, not everyone benefits to the same degree. Supporting causes related to food security and sustainable development are two other pillars of her endowment fund.
Although Sandra has explored numerous hobbies throughout her life – playing piano and guitar, playing handbells, singing, painting, writing, sewing, knitting, bellydancing, and Scottish country dancing – she has enjoyed reading ever since she was a child. Her lifelong love of reading inspires Sandra to support literacy, particularly for children and new Canadians, through the Sandra Plank Endowment Fund.
ABOUT THE FUND
Income available for distribution from the Fund will be disbursed annually to award one or more grants to charitable or community service not-for-profit organizations operating in the Shuswap area with the following focusses:
• Nature conservancy;
• Reading and literacy, specifically for children and new Canadians;
• Programs focussing on creating financial self reliance for females;
• Food security and food accessibility initiatives, with preference towards initiatives that include food waste reduction and/or food education;
• Systems change within the housing sector;
• Appreciation of the arts;
• Revitalization of buildings located in Salmon Arm;
• Girl Guides initiatives.
Preference shall be given to Girl Guides initiatives wherever possible.
Sandra Plank was born and raised in Kelowna BC. After graduating from Kelowna Secondary School, she moved to Ottawa with her family and received a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Since then, she has lived and worked in different parts of the country. In 2025 she moved to Salmon Arm.
As a child, Sandra took ballet and piano lessons and was active in Girl Guides. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of Guide camps. Through Guiding she made friends and learned useful skills that provided the foundation for later leadership development as well as sparking an interest in crafts and outdoor activities. This is why Girl Guides of Canada – the local districts – is one of the causes supported by the Sandra Plank Endowment Fund.
While Sandra did well in many subjects in school, her interest in engineering began with high school physics. She has come to appreciate the challenges and the opportunities afforded by a career in engineering. Through her work in municipalities, she has also observed that there are many opportunities for women in non-traditional careers including engineering, trades, and technology. Through her endowment fund, she hopes to support more girls and women in pursuing these valuable and rewarding careers.
Sandra enjoys travelling with her sister, and they have visited countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. She appreciates how learning other languages can facilitate learning about different cultures, and she has studied and participated in conversation groups in French, Spanish, and German. She also recognizes that while Canada is a rich and diverse nation, not everyone benefits to the same degree. Supporting causes related to food security and sustainable development are two other pillars of her endowment fund.
Although Sandra has explored numerous hobbies throughout her life – playing piano and guitar, playing handbells, singing, painting, writing, sewing, knitting, bellydancing, and Scottish country dancing – she has enjoyed reading ever since she was a child. Her lifelong love of reading inspires Sandra to support literacy, particularly for children and new Canadians, through the Sandra Plank Endowment Fund.
ABOUT THE FUND
Income available for distribution from the Fund will be disbursed annually to award one or more grants to charitable or community service not-for-profit organizations operating in the Shuswap area with the following focusses:
• Nature conservancy;
• Reading and literacy, specifically for children and new Canadians;
• Programs focussing on creating financial self reliance for females;
• Food security and food accessibility initiatives, with preference towards initiatives that include food waste reduction and/or food education;
• Systems change within the housing sector;
• Appreciation of the arts;
• Revitalization of buildings located in Salmon Arm;
• Girl Guides initiatives.
Preference shall be given to Girl Guides initiatives wherever possible.
Donate to this fund
Donations to this fund can be made by e-transfer (preferred), by cheque, donated securities, in person at any SASCU branch, through a gift of securities, or online through CanadaHelps.
