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LEADING WOMEN ENGINEERS IN CANADA’S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY BY MARIKA BIGONGIARI & ADAM SIDSWORTH
“When you approached me about women in aero-
“In my graduating class, maybe 10 per cent
space engineering, I was thinking, ‘Really? Are we
were female,” Brigette Van Aert, P.Eng., a soft-
still talking about this?’” That was the reaction from
ware engineer who works in aerial delivery for
Major Marie-Michele Siu, CD, P.Eng., an aero-
MMIST, notes. “In all the companies I worked
space engineering officer with the Canadian Armed
for, I’m usually the only female in the room for
Forces (CAF), where, Siu asserts, gender has never
most meetings. Maybe there will be one more.”
been a defining aspect of her accomplishments. Siu
But women are finding success and leadership
cites as her hero Elsie MacGill, P.Eng., a woman of
in this specialized field, and to celebrate their
many firsts, including being the first female aircraft
achievements—and challenges—Engineering
designer in the world. MacGill was a trailblazer,
Dimensions is profiling 10 established and up-
and the female aerospace engineers who follow
and-coming female engineering leaders with
in her footsteps are blazing trails of their own.
fascinating and fulfilling careers in Canada’s
The number of women choosing to study and
aerospace industry.
enter aerospace engineering is slowly growing.
www.peo.on.ca
Engineering Dimensions
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