Canadian Association of Women in Construction celebrates 10 th anniversary These relationships have additional advantages. “Our golf tournament has always been a very successful fundraising ini- tiative which extends beyond our doors and our bursary pro- gram has gotten bigger and bigger with time, giving out more money and more bursaries,” Fabian said. Wilson says additional benefits come from opportunities to volunteer within the association. “Anyone can aspire to be- come a board member or even president. This gives women a chance to experience these roles within an association, to give back and to become role models for other women in the industry.” Debbie Wadsworth, another NAWIC Toronto Chapter mem- ber and early member of CAWIC who later became the asso- ciation's second president, says in the early days: “There were a lot of events focused around continuing education with speakers on a variety of topics. Over time more of a network- ing and social focus has been added.” This shift in focus has both invigorated membership growth and provided a basis for many of the benefits Wadsworth sees in the association today. She says CAWIC is, among other things, a great place to find a mentor and to learn about cross-disciplinary fields. “Many sectors of the industry are still siloed but CAWIC erodes those silos,” she said “There is an opportunity to meet with people and to talk about things you don’t have the op- portunity to during the regular course of work.” Wadsworth says she has always taken the opportunity to invite her own colleagues to association events and over time has seen a growing number of men and corporations become members as well. Asked to identify CAWIC’s greatest strength or event, Wadsworth says there is none, and that in itself is its greatest advantage. “There is no one particular program or discipline or event that is most important. Depending on the stage of your career and your own personal needs, CAWIC is many dif- ferent things. It is a flexible and dynamic association that meets the needs of its members when they join and as they grow in their fields.” Catya Covassin says her passion for construction led her to join the Toronto chapter 13 years ago where she joined the board of directors, as a director and chair of the Toronto chap- ter’s final holiday gala. From there she says she worked tire- lessly with other visionaries to ensure CAWIC became a reality and then took terms as director and vice-president. She also helped organize and chaired several events. While the original Toronto NAWIC chapter initially struggled to maintain its membership, Covassin says in CAWIC’s first two years, the association grew to roughly 200 members. She says CAWIC was initially launched as an organization for women to connect, network and exchange ideas and chal- lenges. “CAWIC brings together women from all fields and facets of construction and supplements their professional or- ganizations while providing an enriching environment.” She says it also works to connect with industry to provide benefits and opportunities to its members. “Without a doubt CAWIC’s strength is its members and industry support,” she said. “CAWIC’s ability to facilitate the success of women in construction remains true to its cornerstone principles of lead- ership, mentorship, membership and partnership.” That industry support has been evident since CAWIC’s launch event on April 25, 2006 where more than 350 attended to show their support. Covassin says as CAWIC continues to grow, marking its first decade in the industry, expansion with additional chapters will be a positive challenge. “Membership, retention, involvement and growth will always be key in ensuring CAWIC’s success.” COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS : HABITAT FOR HUMANITY While CAWIC supports and engages women and the indus- try, its community connections are also key. Covassin says the association’s second annual golf tournament partnered with Habitat for Humanity. One of Habitat's new home recipients gave a heartbreaking speech about the family’s journey. Habi- tat for Humanity has remained one of CAWIC’s community partners throughout the years. Julie Pigat has only been a member of CAWIC for two years, but as branch manager with United Rentals Power HVAC, and one of the team leaders of the company’s em- ployee resource group Women United for Canada; she is a strong advocate and supporter of the association. “United Rentals supports associations like CAWIC and in my various roles I certainly encourage women to join the as- sociation and to get involved.” Pigat says through CAWIC women find a networking re- source unlike any other group. With a membership built pri- marily on women and focused on women in the industry, she says it is a place to share trials and tribulations, to get infor- mation and to share ideas for change. In her own career, she experienced challenges as a woman trying to break into the male-dominated profession and says it took one employer willing to give her a chance. Now with United Rentals, a leader in diversity hiring, she says she has many female colleagues and that together they have a very supportive and positive work environment. . “One of the best experiences of my life was a women’s build for Habitat for Humanity that was arranged through CAWIC and sponsored by United Rentals. It was a great ini- tiative where a terrific group of women that I am honoured to call my colleagues came together to take part in this incredi- ble day. We all want to participate in something like that again. Being part of that group of women coming together for such a worthwhile cause was an amazing experience.” The Canadian Design and Construction Report — April-May 2015 – 27