Canada Post Agreement Number: 40609661 BUILDING CANADA Spring 2025 | Issue #3 INSIDE: Breaking Stereotypes Canada Post Agreement Number: 40609661 Women in Construction are Finding Success Mentorship & Sponsorship STEAM Careers WOMENThe official publication of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction 5 37 Celebrating CAWIC’s Corporate Members 38 Recognizing Achievement: Honouring the 2024 CAWIC Bursary Winners 40 Celebrating a Year of IMPACT 42 Index to Advertisers FEATURES 09 A Message from Lisa Laronde, President, CAWIC 11 A Message from Kristen Hallberg, President Elect, CAWIC 12 You’re Invited to CAWIC’s Annual Conference 13 Meet CAWIC’s Board of Directors and Staff CAWIC NEWS & VIEWS GET TO KNOW 14 BREAKING STEREOTYPES: WOMEN THRIVING IN CONSTRUCTION Women in Canada’s construction industry are challenging long-standing stereotypes and thriving in this traditionally male-dominated industry. Barriers, including gender biases, representation, and a lack of mentorship opportunities still exist, but challenges are being overcome through resilience, education, mentorship, and supportive communities. 25 MENTORSHIP & SPONSORSHIP: A WINNING COMBINATION Mentorship and sponsorship are critical tools for advancing women in the construction industry, helping them break through traditional barriers and achieve career success. In this article mentors and sponsors, both of which are vital to fostering growth and leadership development for women in construction, share their thoughts on the importance of formal and informal mentorship programs within construction companies and within CAWIC, which is debuting a new mentorship program this year. 31 SHE’S THE FUTURE: YOUNG WOMEN CONSTRUCTING THEIR CAREERS WITH STEAM Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) have the power to propel young women towards the many opportunities a career in construction offers. This piece explores how STEAM education equips young women with the skills needed to thrive in the ever-evolving construction industry and showcases how various programs and initiatives, like Build a Dream, Junior Achievement, and CAWIC’s new Block Kids program, are supporting the next generation of leaders.6 Spring 2025 | Issue #3 If you have photos of your tradespeople at work, Women Building Canada would like to share the snapshots with readers across Canada. This is a great way to recognize team members and their contribution to your companies and the entire industry. Images must be high resolution. If chosen, we’ll include a 1-2 sentence caption that can include names, project details, company details, and photographer details. Spring 2025, Issue #3 Published For: The Canadian Association of Women in Construction info@cawic.ca www.cawic.ca Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Return all undeliverable addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2S9 Toll-Free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-Free Fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Publisher Jessica Potter jpotter@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Julie Welsh, Christine Scarisbrick Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editor / Social Media Manager Jenna Collignon Finance / Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager Jeff Cash jcash@matrixgroupinc.net Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Colleen Bell, Jackie Casburn, Chandler Cousins, Rich Cowan, Helaina Van Dommelen, Rob Gibson, Jim Hamilton, Scott Hendren, Frank Kenyeres, Sandra Kirby, Andrew Lee, Brian MacIntyre, Chad Morris, Lynn Murphy, Wilma Gray-Rose, Monique Simons, Joseph Ukaoha Layout & Design Kayti McDonald Advertising Design James Robinson © 2025 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. BOOK YOUR AD IN NEXT ISSUE! To advertise in the next edition of Women Building Canada , please e-mail sales@matrixgroupinc.net or call (866) 999-1299 . Your Photos In Print! All across the country women are contributing to Canada’s construction environment, lending their skills and expertise to projects big and small. Sharing images of women at work in the construction industry is a fantastic way to show potential and new tradespeople that women DO belong and are DOING amazing work. SEND YOUR SNAPSHOTS TO INFO@CAWIC.CA.The official publication of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction 9 W elcome to the third edition of the Canadian Association for Women in Construction’s (CAWIC) Women Building Canada magazine. When we launched this publication just a year ago, our vision was to establish a trusted resource and platform for women in construction. Today, we’re proud to see that vision continuing to come to life. The Women Building Canada magazine delves into the critical challenges and exciting opportunities shaping our industry, while amplifying the voices of those already working in the sector. It is the responsibility of all of us to make way for a brighter future for those who follow. It has been a hard-won battle for women in the construction and skilled trades to take up our places in the construction space. Even with our success so far, we only see women in 14% of the overall construction workforce. But why? Part of that is pervasive stereotypes and biases, lack of continuing mentorship, a lack of visibility, and minimal seats at the leadership table. The saying goes, “you can’t be, what you can’t see” and many young girls and women don’t see themselves in the construction industry. But they should. Construction is an exciting and dynamic place for women, and we need to continue to push hard to raise our voices, break down barriers, and take our seat at the table. In our latest magazine, our article, Breaking Stereotypes: Women Thriving in Construction, examines the stereotypes and barriers women have and still face in the traditionally male-led construction industry. While there are still roadblocks in our way, we are working to tear them down, and this article explores what is happening today and what more needs to be done. It also showcases some of the women who are succeeding and thriving in the industry. Mentorship and sponsorship are two critical tools for supporting and retaining women in the construction industry. Some of the only ways we can break down old barriers and build our success are through mentors passing down their industry experience and through sponsors helping foster an industry of growth, development, and success for women. Our article, Mentorship & Sponsorship: A Winning Combination, examines the role of mentorship and the importance of sponsorship, and also shares exciting news about CAWIC’s new mentorship program. What is the key to empowering women to enter the construction industry? One of the best ways for young women is through STEAM education. In this edition, we look at how STEAM education equips young women with the skills needed to thrive in the ever-evolving construction industry. Our CAWIC membership represents the full breadth of women in the industry, from onsite to in the office. Their roles range from engineering and architecture to project management, legal to marketing, and every role in between. We know that our members can inspire the next generation to start their own path in construction. In the article, She’s the Future: Young Women Constructing Their Careers with STEAM, we examine organizations making a difference with the next generation, and we share more exciting news about CAWIC’s new program Block Kids, which is based on the program from the National Association of Women in Construction, our sister organization in the United States. We want to thank our membership, along with the amazing companies and organizations that supported our first three editions of this magazine. Your unwavering support and enthusiasm inspire us to foster collaboration, engagement, and growth across the construction industry. I hope that you enjoy the latest edition of Women Building Canada. AWIC on of Women in Construction WELCOME TO THE THIRD EDITION OF WOMEN BUILDING CANADA! Lisa Laronde President, CAWIC President, RSG International The saying goes, “you can’t be, what you can’t see” and many young girls and women don’t see themselves in the construction industry. But they should. Construction is an exciting and dynamic place for women, and we need to continue to push hard to raise our voices, break down barriers, and take our seat at the table. GET TO KNOWNext >