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Pride Month will be felt more viscerally by some in the Canadian construction sector this year as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies gather with new threats hanging over them.

Most notoriously, with several executive orders by the Donald Trump administration seeking to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, contractors looking for work in the states are being forced to reconsider DEI mandates.

Meanwhile in Canada, major sponsors have pulled out of 2025 Pride events.

Last winter, after the Alberta government announced legislation targeting transgender people, some 15 Alberta-based EllisDon employees decided they had to act.

Their recourse was to join the firm’s PEACE (Proud Employees for Allyship, Community and Education) committee en masse, recounted PEACE co-chair Rory Smith recently.

“A few years ago, PEACE was about five people, and now we’ve got about 50-plus volunteer people in all, EllisDon employees all across the country who’ve put their hands up to try and help PEACE with initiatives and local groups.

“The biggest influx of those people was from Alberta right after they passed anti-trans legislation.”

And so, Smith said, Pride Month 2025 will feature 2SLGBTQ+ construction workers and allies standing their ground and having serious discussions.

“I think it’s the reason why we’ve actually had some other people in the industry reach out and ask if they can march with us this year in Toronto,” said Smith, a Mississauga-based marketing manager for digital and data engineering.

Toronto’s Pride Parade: June 29, 2 to 6 p.m.

Throughout the construction industry, according to a survey, only 1.3 per cent of workers identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and just half feel comfortable being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity at work.

Smith said that number underreports the true number in the workforce, reflecting the discomfort 2SLGBTQ+ workers feel on the job.

Under former CEO Geoff Smith and current CEO Kieran Hawe, EllisDon has been recognized as a leader in DEI policy, with PEACE only one of several employee-led committees promoting inclusion. Jennifer Khan directs the initiatives as vice-president of inclusive diversity.

This year EllisDon unveiled its newest DEI policy tool, the Workplace Gender Affirmation and Transition Guide, to provide policy and establish processes to support gender diverse and trans colleagues.

“This guide is us taking a look inwards and finding out what we can do to make sure that we’re being proactive and making sure that our processes are well set up for support…and what we can do to try and remove any of the barriers to their work life, because obviously there’s an effect on their personal life as well,” said Smith.

EllisDon worked with the consulting firm Terra Firma, founded by Kiersten Mohr, to develop the guide. Mohr said historical factors, such as gender bias, misinformation and misunderstandings about transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, contribute to underrepresentation in the construction sector.

“Insufficient support and resources hinder these individuals from living and working openly and authentically,” stated Mohr.

The issue can well be expressed in terms of safety, particularly mental health, said Smith.

“When it turns out that a member of your team is literally red-lining it in their mental state because they’re worried that you’re going to hate them, it makes it a lot more close to home,” he said.

Recently the firm was sought out by a trade where a worker was transitioning and asked for input. EllisDon was able to offer guidance based on its new guide, which was then still a work in progress.

Smith said firms such as Pomerleau, Aecon and PCL are also progressive on DEI issues and he intends to host a roundtable in the next month with reps from those and similar-minded companies to share successes and challenges. The focus will be on the trades, not corporate management, he said.

“Just getting in touch and saying, ‘We’re all trying to push this boulder from different angles. What can we do together?’”

As for the threats to DEI, Smith was emphatic: “EllisDon’s not backing down, and I can say that with some confidence, because I meet with Kieran and the C suite.

“We maybe took too long to get here, but it’s definitely not something that we’re about to U-turn on.”