SUDBURY - Carly Mackevicious loves her work in construction.
As a sales representative for Fisher Wavy, she serves clients of the leading supplier of concrete and aggregate products across Northern Ontario.
But after more than five years in the industry, she still finds herself correcting people when they fail to address her professionally.
It’s not uncommon, she said, for her to be called “sweetheart” or other pet names in the course of her work, usually by older men.
Even though she knows it’s not said with ill will, Mackevicius said, it diminishes her work and sets an unwelcome double standard.
“You never call a male sweetheart,” she said, noting in those scenarios she’ll usually reiterate her name and position, and try to move on to the business at hand.
“I think just a lot of times, it's the shift, it's the mindset shift, and they're not doing it maliciously,” but women have to reiterate that “we don't love pet names.”
Mackevicius recounted her experiences as part of a roundtable discussion hosted by the Women in Construction Committee of the Northeastern Ontario Construction Association on March 6 in Sudbury. The event coincided with Women in Construction week, which ran March 2-8.
This year’s theme, ‘EmpowHER: Redefining Women’s Roles in the Industry,’ examined how the role of women in construction has evolved and continues to change.
Ongoing labour shortages in the sector mean plenty of opportunities for women looking for construction work. But that also means companies have to create an environment where women feel welcome.
Angèle Dmytruk, a partner and architect at 3rdLine.Studio and Polestar, said though she’s technically the boss, she tries to foster a team approach while working on a project, since each member brings to the table a different, valuable set of skills. New grads, for example, have knowledge of the newest design software that she might not be familiar with.
But she also touted the value of embracing work-from-home principles. Working in the office is great for collaborative opportunities, she said, but enabling a hybrid approach to work provides a flexibility that can often produce great results.
“Sometimes things happen in life, and it's easier to work from home in this instance, or hours may shift a little,” Dmytruk said.
“If we're all kind of supporting one another, then that's where you're going to get the most productivity and the most work.”
More women are taking leadership roles at work, and that also requires a measure of flexibility.
Micheline Gervais, project director for health, hygiene and safety for Englobe, said she’s found that everyone learns differently, and so adaptability has been a key trait she’s honed throughout her career.
“What works with one person doesn't necessarily work with the other person,” Gervais said. “I think the great mentors that I did have … were able to adjust their way of how to talk to me, to train me, show me different things.”
It’s also important for women to remember their worth and know they belong.
Gervais recalled frequent instances where she’s been the only woman in a boardroom and her ideas weren’t well received.
In those scenarios, she tries to remain calm, but also stands her ground.
“Those are the situations where … I'll maybe shift the idea differently,” she said. “Make sure that you're kept calm, and then you prove that you do belong at the situation, at the job site, wherever you are, and you voice those concerns and in a professional way.”
In her dual roles as an underground labourer for Vale and a co-owner of a concrete company, Emily Stadnyk advises women to be open to learning everything they can on the job.
Trained as a welder-fitter, Stadnyk began her career after graduating from Fanshawe College in 2004. She worked in a number of industrial settings before joining Vale in 2023.
At that point, she said, she accepted any additional training the company offered her so she could become as versatile as possible.
“Knowledge is power. So try to learn as much as the company's offering training. Try to take every opportunity as you possibly can,” she said.
“Knowing everything about where you are and your trade and whatever you're doing is power for you to grow and move up.”
In addition to their personal stories, the panellists spoke about the importance of clear communication, having proper-fitting PPE at hand, finding good mentors, and promoting construction careers early as factors in helping women be successful at work.
Joan Strawn, the health and safety coordinator at Damisona Roofing, believes the future of construction is bright, thanks in large part to the women and allies that are making it a more welcome place to be.
The industry is changing, she noted, and new possibilities are opening up all the time.
“Every time you show up, you inspire the next generation of women to dream bigger and to aim higher and to take their rightful place in this industry,” Strawn said.
“Keep pushing forward. Keep lifting each other up. Keep showing the world that women in construction aren't just a part of this industry very central to its future.”