WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Alberta’s Evolution Glass: Ashley Munro at the helm Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature Ashley Munro has been involved in the glazing industry since she was a young girl. Though she says glazing is still a highly male-dominated and largely unknown profession, she has experienced success and fulfillment as president of Evolution Glass. Growing up, Munro had experience working for her father who was a glazier and owned his own company. She says she started helping out dur- ing summer breaks, and gradually worked her way up through various po- sitions, learning the business along the way. “It started as a convenient sum- mer job – working for my dad – but I quickly found I loved the work, and loved the challenge.” In 2012 she and her husband Richard and their partner Marc Blakney, started Evolution Glass. In the three years it has been in operation, the trio have more than tripled the company’s facilities and capacity. Saying the partners and staff are a strong team, Munro is comfortable in her role within the company, despite the fact that she is one of two women out of a staff of 58. She says the gen- der discrepancy is never an issue be- cause she has always worked with respectful people and she is not easily intimidated personally. “At the end of the day people are people, regardless of age or gender. I’d love to see more women working with us but the fact is that we don’t see women applying.” Munro said her sister worked in the fabrication shop during her summer break and thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on aspect. She anticipates re- turning next summer. Part of the numbers issue, she be- lieves, is that glazing doesn’t get the recognition of other trades. “Many people don’t know what a glazier does, that it is more than working with glass.” She says glazing is a very service- oriented business and despite the country’s current recession status, the 40 – November 2015 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report