For Lucille LeBlanc, it was like a lightbulb went off when she thought of the perfect way to honour her father.
A proud graduate of McMaster’s Master of Public Policy and Administration program, LeBlanc had been thinking about creating a bursary to support the next generation of leaders in her field.
Having spent her entire career in the federal public service, she had seen first-hand what it takes to be an effective leader — and where the gaps exist.
“When you look at what’s available in terms of supporting and growing leaders,” she says, “almost everything is focused on the private sector. Being a leader in the public sector is a very different thing.”
That’s why the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement at McMaster resonated so strongly with her.
“When I heard about the College, I thought — that’s what’s been missing!” she says. “If you’re not in Ottawa, where do you go if you want to work for a city in southwestern Ontario? Where can you go to get the foundation you need to make an impact in the community you live in? That’s where McMaster and this program can really make a difference.”
Energized by the alignment between her values and the College’s mission, LeBlanc sat down to name the bursary. That’s when it dawned on her: Creating this bursary wasn’t only about empowering the next generation of leaders in her field. It was also a deeply meaningful way to honour her father, who passed away in 2024.
“For my dad, education was so important, despite fact that he had almost none,” she says. “He always told my sisters and I how important it was to be educated in order to make our own choices and be independent.”
Lucille LeBlanc, far left, with her sisters and her parents, Richard and Bernadette LeBlanc.
Growing up as one of 14 children, her father, Richard LeBlanc, left school in Grade 5 to work on the family farm in a small Acadian village in southern New Brunswick, helping to provide for the family.
Though he had little formal education, he went on to build a successful career as an entrepreneur and business owner.
“Despite coming from nothing, he and my mom built their furniture business from scratch and it operated for 30 years,” LeBlanc says.
While he was proud of the business he built, he often reflected later in life on what else he might have achieved if he’d had more opportunities.
“I think if my dad had had the chance,” LeBlanc says, “he would have been a political strategist.”
In his spare time, her father wrote opinion pieces for local and national news outlets, proudly keeping a scrapbook of his published letters.
“Having been born in poverty, my dad was very sensitive to the struggles of others,” LeBlanc says. “He was able to see where things could change.”
So, as she sat down in January 2025 to name her bursary, the choice was clear: The Richard J. LeBlanc Bursary.
Richard LeBlanc when he was 93 years old.
The inaugural award will be granted in the fall 2026 semester—the first award of its kind geared towards students in Wilson College.
A bursary recipient herself, LeBlanc knows how life-changing support like this can be.
“During my undergraduate degree, I received bursaries of $500 and $1,000, and they made a huge difference to me,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to make a contribution.”
Her advice to others who may be considering a donation of their own?
“You don’t need to donate a million dollars to make a difference. You can make a commitment that makes sense for you and your budget,” she says. “For a student, a small amount of money can go a long way.”
To learn more about giving at McMaster or establishing your own named award, visit giving.mcmaster.ca or contact our advancement team.
Why McMaster donors give: At McMaster University, every single gift, no matter the size, has the potential to make a difference in the lives of our students, the quality of our research and our ability to give back to our community and influence the future. We asked some of our donors and their families what motivates them to give. Read their stories.