For the first time in months, the future is exciting for several former forestry workers from the South Cariboo. Over the past two and a half months, they have been enrolled in Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Heavy Equipment Operator program, free of charge. …Kyla Miller, TRU’s 100 Mile community coordinator, said this program was funded by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to help community members impacted by forestry sector layoffs, specifically the closure of West Fraser 100 Mile Lumber. …Miller said a program like this is expensive to run, with students paying up to $40,000 each. Thanks to the government funding and community donations, TRU was able to offer it at no cost to qualified workers. To qualify, students had to be either formerly employed by West Fraser, precariously employed in the forestry sector or laid off due to the impacts of U.S. lumber tariffs.