March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize trailblazers like Mary Smith, who became Ontario’s first female construction safety inspector in the 1980s at age 45. Now 90, a mother of six daughters and living in a retirement home in Mississauga, she looks back on her groundbreaking career.
“There weren’t any females. Any. They wouldn’t even look at them. It was that bad,” Smith said of the Ministry of Labour’s hiring process, which brought in 90 inspectors — but none were women until she arrived.
Smith joined the Ontario Ministry of Labour as a construction safety inspector, just after the Occupation Health and Safety Act became law. “There was training. There had to be training,” Smith said.
As an inspector, she ensured job sites met safety standards. The role came with its challenges. Smith recalls witnessing injuries, accidents, and even deaths on the job. Investigating these incidents was a critical and often high-stress aspect of her work, but she had a reputation in remaining calm and doing her job diligently.
This also meant that Smith was not an inspector to be trifled with or bribed. She recalls one particularly brazen attempt, where she had to testify at court as an investigator to a construction incident. The man on the line tried to convince her not to testify.
“I asked him, ‘How did you get my phone number?" Smith said. "You don’t even know my name.’”
To her shock, the man replied, “Yes, I do.”
Then came the offer: “There will be $1,000 for you if you don’t appear in court tomorrow.”
Smith didn’t hesitate. “I just hung up.”
She also fought for better training, both for herself and for her colleagues, ensuring that inspectors had the necessary knowledge to protect workers. “That’s the biggest thing, isn’t it? It’s encouraging them all to ask for training.”
Her career path wasn't typical. At 18, Smith married young (and in secret) to her beau. She started her career at Bell Canada as a long-distance operator when her husband was stationed to work in France during the Cold War (women weren't allowed at the time to join their spouses, Smith recalls).
One year later Smith joined her husband in France and moved to Alberta, where her husband was teaching members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization how to fly. At the time, Smith was a homemaker and gave birth to her first three daughters. The family eventually moved back to Ontario, where Smith worked at Teperman Demolition.
She started as an assistant, eventually managing the Ottawa branch. She learned to bid on demolition projects and handle costs. Gaining respect was tough, but a senior team member in Montreal recognized her work.
“I had no magic, but I did have something, didn’t I?” she said.
Smith has witnessed progress for women in construction, but she believes there’s still work to be done. While the industry has become more accessible for women, she encourages continued efforts to break barriers. In the meantime, Smith says informal mentorships are key to guiding women who want to enter and stay in the trades.
She offered one last piece of advice with a knowing smile.
“Keep trying and don’t give up. Get your foot in the door first and look for companies that offer multiple career options so you have room to grow,” she said.
“Try not to be insulting, even if it’s subtle,” she added with a chuckle.