This article is one in a series of conversations with women leaders in the construction industry. Click here for past discussions.
As a child, Cheyanne Hammell saw her mother earn success in the male-dominated aviation industry, becoming the first woman in her company to fly a Boeing 757.
Her mother’s passion for a nontraditional role inspired Hammell to choose a career in construction. In 2007 she was hired by PCL Construction, which has its North American headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, after she completed a co-op type of internship program there while at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.
As a special projects manager for PCL’s Toronto office, Hammell leads specialized projects in the Greater Toronto Area, overseeing a team of 40 people in undertaking as many as 30 projects at a time for essential infrastructure such as hospitals, airports and offices.
She also volunteers as a mentor and participates in several committees and events to empower young girls and women to explore careers in science, trades, engineering and technology.
Here, Hammell talks with Construction Dive about renovating Toronto’s CN Tower, the importance of teamwork and the benefits of a job in construction.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What led you to choose construction for your career?
CHEYANNE HAMMELL: I ultimately chose construction as my career due to my experience working at PCL during my co-op semesters in college. I loved the teamwork involved in delivering projects and being able to see the tangible results of your hard work.
There’s a great sense of pride to be able to show off your accomplishments to family and friends.
What are a few of the projects you’ve most enjoyed working on and why?
A project that stands out for me would be our renovation of the Observation Level at the CN Tower, where we completely renovated one of the levels at the top of the tower while keeping the space open to visitors. Not only that, but we replaced half of the exterior windows 1,300 feet in the air with new floor-to-ceiling glass panels which is something that doesn’t happen on regular projects.
I also really enjoyed my work on a long-term care home, Lakeridge Gardens, in Ajax, Ontario. The accelerated project was completed during the height of COVID-19 when the province desperately needed additional long-term care beds.
It’s also a project that seemed to have impossible goals of delivering a complete 320-bed facility in just one year, but it was a great example of what a shared vision and collective teamwork can accomplish.
What are the benefits of working in construction?
I think one of the biggest benefits of construction is that it’s constantly changing and evolving. It never feels like you’re doing the same thing because people and projects change so frequently that it is almost like starting a new job every couple of years.
We also have the opportunity to work with a lot of new and exciting technology. There’s a lot of problem-solving and you quickly build relationships with people as you work together to work through challenges.
What advice would you give to young women considering construction as a career?
I think there’s a lot that women have to bring to the table that can benefit the construction industry and make an impact to change the construction environment. It’s a very rewarding career, one where you will definitely learn something new every day and where you have the ability to contribute directly to the communities where we live and work.
I think that’s something really special that you get to participate in when you choose construction as a career.
