Press Release

CAWIC Official Launch
Thursday, April 6th, 2006

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL LAUNCH
Association Established to Identify Opportunities and Facilitate Long-Term Success of Women in Canada’s $123 Billion Construction Industry

Toronto, ON – April 6, 2006 – The Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) are pleased to announce the association’s official launch. CAWIC was founded 23 years ago by a group of Toronto-area professional women working in the construction industry. Originally the Toronto Chapter 295 of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), CAWIC recently separated from its U.S. based parent organization. CAWIC will continue to maintain its ties with NAWIC and will also establish unilateral and multilateral relationships with similar associations in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand through the signing of International Affiliations.

CAWIC will commemorate its official launch with a reception that will take place on Tuesday, April 25, 2006, starting at 5:30 PM EST. The reception will be held in downtown Toronto, ON, at the TD Waterhouse Tower, 79 Wellington Street West, 16th Floor. Members of the media are encouraged to attend. Angela Wilson, CAWIC President as well as members of the Board of Directors will be available for interviews.

The construction industry in Canada represents significant career and business opportunities for women in a variety of trade, technical and professional fields. According to the Canadian Construction Association, the construction industry employs close to 1 million Canadian men and women and is responsible for about $123 billion in economic activity annually. The construction industry accounts for approximately 12 percent of Canada’s total gross domestic product (GDP).

“Our mandate is to facilitate the long-term success of women in the Canadian construction industry by identifying career and business opportunities, organizing networking events, developing mentoring programs and reaching out to elementary and high-school students,” comments Angela Wilson, CAWIC’s inaugural President. “CAWIC will work closely with industry, government and other associations to represent the concerns of our members and eliminate existing and potential barriers. We want women to not only consider the construction industry, but to make it a career choice and stay in it.”

Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, CAWIC’s activities will also include industry research and information sharing, organizing educational seminars and career days, fundraising for bursaries and community outreach programs.

CAWIC’s membership base consists of individuals and companies engaged in construction and related fields. These include general and specialty contractors, architectural and engineering firms, building product manufacturers and distributors, real estate professionals, interior designers, trade associations, law firms and other professional service providers. CAWIC’s membership also represents a diverse spectrum of skilled and professional occupations within the industry. Individual members include tradeswomen, architects, business owners and senior executives, estimators, lawyers, professional engineers and technologists, project managers, real estate agents, sales and marketing professionals, students as well as HR, accounting and other support functions. CAWIC has introduced an “Associate Member” category to accommodate the growing interest of individuals and companies that provide the construction industry with goods and professional services.

About CAWIC
The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) was incorporated in October 2005. The origins of CAWIC date back approximately 23 years when a group of Toronto area professional women working in construction formed the Toronto Chapter 295 of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). CAWIC’s mandate is to facilitate the long-term success of women in Canada’s construction-related fields. These include contracting, architecture, engineering, interior design, building products and professional services. CAWIC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded through membership fees, fundraising events and Corporate Sponsorships. CAWIC’s founding corporate sponsors include Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Cloke-Kirby Construction, Dufferin Construction Company, Lynx Cabling, the Ontario General Contractors Association and Stephenson Rental.

About NAWIC
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) was founded in 1953 by sixteen Texas-based women working in the construction industry. Originally called Women in Construction of Fort Worth, the founders recognized early on that women represented only a small fraction of the U.S. construction industry. This led to the formation of NAWIC, which gained it national charter in 1955. NAWIC’s core purpose is to enhance the success of all women in the construction industry, from trades women to business owners. With almost 900,000 women working in construction today, the industry is becoming more accepting of their non-traditional roles. Today, NAWIC has a membership of 5,500 with 179 chapters across the United States. Since 1996, NAWIC has seen its core purpose grow internationally, with the signing of International Affiliation Agreements with NAWIC-Australia, NAWIC-New Zealand, South African Women in Construction, and most recently with NAWIC-United Kingdom and CAWIC. For more information, please visit www.nawic.org

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