Do you remember what you wanted for your 11th birthday? A new LEGO set? A scooter? A bean bag chair?   

Eleanor Wainio, a soon-to-be Sturgeon Heights Collegiate graduate, had something else on her list. She requested a dust-mask style respirator – the type you’d find on a construction site.   

Was it a strange request? Maybe. Was it a sign of her passion for construction? Definitely, and it’s something she comes by honestly.   

“I’ve lived in a construction zone my entire life,” she joked. “My dad is an aircraft mechanic and a carpenter. He loves to do projects around the house and we have a woodshop at home.”  

Wainio has further developed that passion in her schooling too. 

 “I did a project where I researched the trades,” said Wainio. “I had some interest in going into agriculture and farming too, but through this project, I realized how in-demand the trades are and how many different routes you can take.”   

In high school, she’s taken courses in electrical, carpentry, car mechanics, and welding. As long as her final exams go to plan, she’ll graduate with her high school diploma and a welding certificate.   

With Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC) working hard to encourage more women to join the trades, Wainio’s passion and career goals are an inspiration. James Murphy, Community and Youth Liaison for MCSC first met her after a presentation at Sturgeon Heights, and was immediately blown away.  

“The knowledge she already had about welding, carpentry, and plumbing was amazing,” said Murphy. “It’s rare to get a Grade 12 student with that kind of knowledge on one trade, let alone three. It’s typically been even rarer to see that knowledge and interest come from a female.”   

But that trend is starting to change.  

Wainio’s been putting her knowledge to practice already through part-time work with All-Canadian Renovations Ltd., a local business that focuses on residential construction. She’ll be working there full-time after graduation.  

“Eleanor shows lots of initiative,” noted Curtis Breslaw, Principal at All-Canadian Renovations. “She’s certainly a go-getter on our sites. She’s not afraid to get dirty either – she’s been in attics and done some not-so-fun grunt work, but she loves it and tells us that she wants more. She’s approachable and personable, which the customers like too. So far, she’s checking all the boxes.”  

Wainio has another box that she’d like to check off too – becoming an inspiration to other young women in the trades.   

Wainio herself is inspired by Mandy Rennehan, Canadian-born CEO of Freshco, a retail maintenance and construction company whose clients are some of the top corporations in North America. Since reading Rennehan’s book The Blue Collar CEO on her journey to the top of the male-dominated construction industry, Wainio has aspired to follow a similar path to owning her own HVAC company  

“It would send such a message to other females looking to get into the trades who don’t have mentors to look up to,” said Wainio. “When I was younger, there weren’t many other girls in those jobs. But there are more now than ever before.”  

Murphy has noticed the trend too, thanks in large part to MCSC’s efforts through initiatives like their Gathering Circle where women in the trades network with each other, the Manitoba Women in Trades Conference, and Be More Than A Bystander training to prevent gender-based violence.    

“When I first started promoting the trades to high school students 15 years ago, there wasn’t much interest from young women,” Murphy said. “A lot of girls might have been too shy or too scared to show interest. Now, we’re seeing more women in the trades, and girls are asking me more questions.”  

Breslaw knows how important that is to the industry. All-Canadian Renovations is always open to finding more workers and are focused on hiring people that are good at what they do and are personable with clients. They’ve had women on the tools in the past that fit those expectations, and Wainio is another great example.   

“It’s important to break down some barriers that have been there in the past. To me, it’s important to open the opportunity to anybody to increase our workforce,” said Breslaw.   

With a hammer in her hands and a vision in her heart, Wainio isn’t just building her own future in the trades as she embarks on her career – she’s helping pave the way for more women to join her too.