10 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com
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SIT REP
Building Higher Ground: Record $5.56 Million Gift Paves the
Way for Women in Skilled Trades
This $5.56M gi is the largest in YWCA Metro Vancouver's history
— and it's transforming opportunities for women in skilled trades.
On September 15 in North Vancouver, a milestone moment
reshaped the future of women in Canada's trades. The Dennis
& Phyllis Washington Foundation, in partnership with Seas-
pan, announced a record-breaking $5.56 million donation to
YWCA Metro Vancouver. It is the single largest gift in the orga-
nization's history — and one that promises to remove barriers,
open doors, and build pathways for women to thrive in indus-
tries that have too often kept them on the sidelines. The tim-
ing couldn't be more urgent. Canada is staring down a short-
age of 700,000 skilled trade workers by 2028, driven largely
by retirements. Despite the demand, women represent only
about 5% of the construction trades workforce, according to
the BC Construction Association. "Building the next generation
of tradespeople is crucial to the success of Canada's growing
shipbuilding industry on the West Coast, and to many other,
integral industries across the country. Seaspan is pleased to
be supporting the YWCA Higher Ground program and help-
ing to provide a safe, encouraging platform for women to join
the trades and build a purposeful, successful career path," said
John McCarthy, CEO, Seaspan Shipyards.
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