Wednesday, February 25, 2026

#WomenWednesday - December Bigplume

Meet December Bigplume, a proud Local 63 member, PCL Builders employee, and second-year carpenter apprentice.

December has been in construction for the last four years, and if you asked her back then where she’d end up career-wise, carpentry “would have never even crossed my mind.”

One of the biggest things that helped her early on was having strong mentors on site. December says she looks up to a woman named Erin B., her first lead hand on the Travers Solar Farm. From day one, Erin encouraged December to give it her all, and having a female leader from the start made a real impact.

She’s also grateful for the male mentors who saw her potential before she did. Shoutout to Derek R. and Aaron S., who pulled her into walk-throughs and conversations “way out of my pay grade,” handed her blueprints even when she didn’t know what she was looking at yet, and trusted her with tasks that helped her grow quickly (including being harnessed five stories up and sent out on a table)!

What surprised December most? How supportive people were. Coming into construction “so green,” she worried she’d be treated poorly or made to feel stupid, but she says 99.9 percent of people were patient and willing to teach.

She’s proud of every job she works on, and still gets that “kid building something new” feeling, complete with taking pictures to show her mom. One proud moment that stands out: landing a spot on the tables crew at Prince Albert Victoria Hospital. “Ever since I started construction, that’s all I ever talked about was flying tables!”

Her message to young women thinking about the trades:

DO IT.

“It’s such an empowering job. If you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll have endless opportunities," she says. She also adds that women can be supported simply by being open about their needs—there’s always someone to talk to.

Thanks for sharing your story, December. We’re cheering you on! 💛

Interested in joining the trades but not sure where to start. Our Supporting Women In Construction program can help you on your journey. Visit clac.ca/swic.

#WomenWednesday - December Bigplume

You might be interested in