Windsor Construction Association endorses women in construction group

The boards of the Windsor Construction Association and sister Heavy Construction Association have endorsed plans to establish a women in construction group. An inaugural event is expected to be held next month.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Christine Prymack, the associations’ office administrator. She said response has been “overwhelming” since an item appeared in a recent newsletter.

■ Windsor, Ontario women’s construction group outlines future plans

The group’s overall mission is to promote the construction industry through providing networking opportunities, mentorship, support and education.

Goals include raising the profile and visibility of women in construction, promoting and sharing best practices within the construction sector and providing training, workshops and seminars with a female focus or perspective.

Organizers believe participation would benefit everyone from owners, architects, engineers, general and subcontractors to administrative personnel, project managers and supervisors, estimators and labourers.

Down the road, Prymack would like to sign up some women who are enrolled in construction-related courses at local colleges and universities.

“Hopefully, we can set them up with mentors,” she said.

Plans to establish the women in construction group got a thumbs-up from Lee Anne Doyle, the city of Windsor’s chief building official.

“From my vantage point, this represents an opportunity for networking and mentoring in what is a male-dominated industry,” said Doyle, who oversees a staff of 65 in the city’s building department and is one of the few female chief building officials in Ontario.

Elsewhere in the province, both the Grand Valley Construction Association and the Niagara Construction Association have women in construction groups in place. The Niagara group was set up earlier this year. Prymack attended the Niagara launch.