toolkit

Women Reclaiming Leadership

In light of the growing sector and increasing retirements, it is crucial that environmental organizations have a broad, diverse, and qualified talent pool. This toolkit offers resources to support diversity in your organization.

THE NEED FOR WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

47% of the Canadian workforce are female yet only 36% are in management positions as of 2021.

Data on the demographic composition of workers in environmental careers show that women and immigrants are underrepresented compared to the overall Canadian labour force. This underrepresentation is much higher when considering industries such as mining and quarrying, and construction.

With 30 per cent of the workforce expected to retire in the next 10 years, developing a pool of diverse and qualified talent is crucial for the sustainability of environmental careers. The increasing demand for environmental workers is compounding this labour shortage.

To cope with this demand, organizations must look to strengthen their ability to attract, recruit and retain workers through numerous initiatives, including engaging and supporting diverse workforces.

This toolkit looks to support organizations with useful resources and case studies highlighting the importance and benefits of a diverse workplace.

The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

Diversifying your workforce has strong financial and non-financial benefits, including increased collaboration and innovation, higher employee engagement, and increased productivity.

learn more

Toward a Business Case for Inclusive and Diverse Environmental Workplaces

Learn more about the need for a diverse workforce and the benefits for organizations of diversifying their business.

Read the Business Case

Promising Practices Organizations are Implementing

Suncor & Catalyst’s MARC Program: Male Allies in Advancing DEI

Ontario Power Generation and Indigenous Opportunities Network

SAP and Maturn: Helping Moms Thrive at Work

Nature Canada: Empowering Women through Mentorship

Webinars and Online Tools to Support Diversity in Your Workplace

ECO Canada Labour Market Information

Indigenous Relations

Resources

Webinars

Online Courses

Government Websites and Legislation Resources

Research

Tools

ECO Canada Labour Market Information

Indigenous Relations

Resources

Webinars

Online Courses

Government Websites and Legislation Resources

Research

Tools

Mentorship Program

Engage with Peers and Mentors

The Mentorship program is designed for professionals in the Environmental and Engineering sectors to connect and engage with peers and mentors on topics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Through the Mentorship program, professionals will have the opportunity to make new connections, discuss barriers women and underrepresented professionals face to advance to leadership positions, and get support and guidance to overcome those barriers.

Mentorship Process:
Duration: 6-month program
Format: One session per month (6 sessions total)
Matching Criteria: Based on specialization, location, personal traits, and career goals

Benefits of the Mentorship Program

Learn to give and receive constructive feedback.

Explore new ways of thinking.

Practical advice.

Share challenges and concerns with a confidane.

Want to be a Mentor or Mentee?

Sign Up Now!

"*" indicates required fields

First Name*
Last Name*
Phone Number*
Email Address*

Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Meet the Advisory Committee

Olivier Joyal
Olivier Joyal is the Executive Vice President, Strategy & Execution...

Olivier Joyal

Olivier Joyal is the Executive Vice President, Strategy & Execution for the Earth & Environment sector in Canada. He is also the ESG Canadian Executive Leader. He joined WSP over 18 years ago. His vast experience with a wide range of stakeholders in Canada and around the world has led him to develop personal strategies to adapt to an ever-changing environment and culture.   

Rhonda Smith
Rhonda Smith is Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO)...

Rhonda Smith

Rhonda Smith is Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Trace Associates Inc. (Trace), a mid-sized environmental consulting and engineering advisory firm servicing a diverse market in western Canada. Ms. Smith completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia and obtained her Professional Agrologists designation in Alberta. Since co-founding Trace in 2006, Rhonda has been responsible for the operations of the company, focusing on business management, strategy development, and corporate governance. More recently, Rhonda completed the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program and earned her ICD.D designation. As a transformational executive, Rhonda has built a company based on respect and inclusion. After spending more than a decade building Trace, Ms. Smith believes that to be a strong business, diversity is critical to success.

Alison Proctor
Alison is a Mechanical Engineer with internationally recognized...

Alison Proctor

Alison is a Mechanical Engineer with internationally recognized experimental research on dynamic modelling and control of underwater vehicles. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria.
Alison joined OFG in 2015 as an AUV pilot and control system engineer. She has run many offshore projects for the company including OFG’s collaboration with the winning GEBCO-NF Alumni Team in the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, and is now the Chief Operating Officer.

Maureen Reed
Maureen Reed is a distinguished professor and shares a UNESCO Chair...

Maureen Reed

Maureen Reed is a distinguished professor and shares a UNESCO Chair in Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability, Reconciliation and Renewal at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Her research program focuses on the social dimensions of sustainability – how people, processes and institutions – shape decisions about environment and development. She and her students work in “the PROGRESS lab” with community partners to explain and support rural communities seeking to practice sustainability and demonstrate resilience in the face of both rapid and slow-moving environmental, social, economic, political and cultural change. Research related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canada’s forest sector focuses on how we can build processes for climate change adaptation and post-disaster learning that account for differences across gender and cultural diversity. When she is not learning from her research partners, colleagues and students, she is walking the dog, making photos of flowers, and getting her hands dirty in the garden.

Stephanie Hurlburt
Stephanie Hurlburt is a proud Sapotaweyak (sap-o-ta-wey-ak) Cree Nation...

Stephanie Hurlburt

Stephanie Hurlburt is a proud Sapotaweyak (sap-o-ta-wey-ak) Cree Nation member and is an Indigenous Program Lead at Clear Seas.
In her role, Stephanie is dedicated to fostering collaboration and creating mutually beneficial partnerships between Indigenous individuals, communities, and organizations. She spearheads initiatives such as the Indigenous Career Pivot Program and Indigenous Internship Program. These programs provide opportunities for Indigenous individuals to access meaningful roles within their communities and the Marine Industry. Stephanie’s ultimate goal is to empower and support Indigenous peoples, striving for an inclusive and equitable future.
Clear Seas is an organization committed to promoting safe and sustainable marine shipping practices. It conducts independent research and works towards fostering a responsible maritime industry. Stephanie’s role as the Indigenous Program Lead allows her to make a significant impact by promoting inclusivity and providing opportunities for Indigenous individuals within the marine sector.

Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley
Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley is an experienced facilitator, EDI researcher, public speaker...

Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley

Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley is an experienced facilitator, EDI researcher, public speaker, and professional mechanical engineer with over eighteen years of experience in the mining industry. In 2022 she was recognized by Engineers Canada as an EDI Champion. Jocelyn is driven to create awareness and remove roadblocks so that all individuals and organizations can realize the benefits of inclusion and achieve their full potential. she helps her clients lead changes by investigating problems, translating for common understanding, and implementing practical solutions to these problems.
Jocelyn has a B.Sc. with distinction in Mechanical Engineering and a M.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a 2021 Vanier scholar and is working with International Minerals Innovation Institute and Mitacs on her PhD project, titled “Activating Allies”. After spending thirteen years of her career working at Canadian mining and mineral processing sites in technical and leadership roles, Jocelyn is now expanding her social impact potential by leading and inspiring positive change through EDI research, facilitation, public speaking, and consulting.
Jocelyn is an active volunteer and Vice-Chair of the Board with Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan. In her role as Vice-Chair, she has coordinated and facilitated strategic planning sessions and workshops, both in person and virtually.

Sandro Perruzza
Sandro Perruzza is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Society of...

Sandro Perruzza

Sandro Perruzza is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), the Advocacy and Member Services organization for the Engineering Profession in Ontario. Sandro also serves on the Board of Directors for Minerva Canada, and on the Board for the Construction Design Alliance of Ontario.
Prior to joining OSPE, Sandro was the Chief of Client Services at Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, the largest Health and Safety Association in Canada, where he was a sitting member of the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Prevention Operations Forum. He has been recognized for building inclusive workspaces, high-performing teams, and a culture based on trust and mutual respect.

Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry
Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry is the VP of Professional Services at ECO Canada...

Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry

Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry is the VP of Professional Services at ECO Canada. He oversees the development and delivery of professional services to support the rapidly growing network of the Canadian environment and sustainability workforce. He provides strategic insight and technical support for environment and sustainability programs and works closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government, industry and the environment & sustainability professionals.
During his more than two decades of career in Environment and Sustainability, he has worked in numerous countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Yogi holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and supports a number of Canadian and international academic institutions, standard-setting organizations, and industry associations in various professional capacities.

Pooja
Sharma
Pooja works as a Project Manager at ECO Canada in the Professional Services....

Pooja Sharma

Pooja works as a Project Manager at ECO Canada in the Professional Services and ESG team. She is currently leading several federally and provincially funded projects at ECO including Women Reclaiming Leadership project. Pooja holds a Master in Economics from U-Ottawa and a Diploma in Business Administration from McMaster University.

Watch Our DEI Webinar

Watch Now

This project has been funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada