PAGE OCR A2 – February 2009 – The Ontario Construction Report
Ontario carpenter to be expert on popular TV show
MATTHEW DESROSIERS – The OCR Construction Report
down a carpentry course in She was fortunate to get the weekends or off-days,
Burlington at the Centre for her placement at South Park she would take calls and go
Gail Prosser-Craig was walk. I’ve always been very
Skills Development and Design Build, a Toronto- do little jobs around town. It
never intimidated by tools. comfortable around tools.”
Training. It was a woman’s based home builder who got to the point where her
“My father was a me- Growing up working with
course, funded by the On- builds in Rosedale, a high- phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
chanic, so my whole life I her hands, Gail felt the need
tario Women’s Directorate, end community in the city. “The demand was there,”
was that garage rat,” she to return to her roots after a
which included 26 weeks in “Right out of school, I she said. “It really was. I
said. “I had my own set of career in hospitality left her
class, and a 26-week place- was being part of the builds spread the word.”
tools probably before I could wanting more. She tracked
ment. for 13,000 sq.-ft. homes at Though she would have
the very top end of construc- liked to stay with South Park
tion,” she said. “I was really a while longer to learn more,
taught the best, immedi- she said the opportunity was
ately.” to just too good to pass up.
ably her favourite. She
Being a woman on the “I’m always booked three
knows the job very well, and
job site never slowed her months ahead of time, and
loves to work outside.
down, though Gail admits those are all one week jobs,
Gail’s most recent proj-
that she was lucky. It’s not or two day jobs. So that’s a
ect, however, has taken her
the case for all women. lot of clients.”
off-site and put her on-cam-
“That’s only my story,” Gail does most of the
era.
she said. “For myself, the work herself, though she
She is the newest carpen-
only concern when I started subs out some of the load as
ter expert for the popular
with South Park was could I well. Roughly 90 per cent of
Discovery Channel televi-
keep up as far as strength carpenters she calls on are
sion show, Canada’s Worst
was concerned.” female, but that’s just a coin-
Handyman.
As a ‘farm girl’, the other cidence.
They found Gail through
guys on site quickly learned “I don’t discriminate. It’s
another female carpenter in
that she could keep up. really whoever I can find
Toronto, and brought her in
Though she wasn’t the that’s best for the job.”
for a series of interviews,
strongest worker on-site, she Women Who Build Stuff
hands-on auditions, and to
was smart. Her passion specializes in small-sized
hear her commentary on the
about the job and her desire jobs, including decks,
previous season. She was
to learn and improve really fences, the odd paint job, and
chosen and brought to
showed through. As a result, other little fix-it-ups, she
Huntsville for filming,
the guys were more than said. As a finish carpenter,
which wrapped in January.
willing to help her and teach and with her experience with
“It was amazing,” she
her. South Park, Gail is able to
said. “It was so neat to see
“I know for other women, bring high-quality work to
what goes on behind the
it really depends on the crew people with low budgets.
scenes. And I was a big fan
you start with, and my guys She accepts the calls that
of the show to begin with.”
were great.” bigger companies don’t take
Gail joins previous expert
Gail currently owns and the time for, and that, she
Geoff Woodmansey on the
operates her own business, said, is the key to her suc-
show. She is one of, if not
Women Who Build Stuff, cess.
the only female carpenter on
however, she still calls her “People call me and I
television at the moment.
former co-workers for ad- show up the next day, or I
“I don’t know how
vice and help from time to call. I’m taking a look at
they’re going to edit what
time. their job as soon as I can get
just went down, but it’s
She got started working there.”
going to be amazing.”
on her own during her place- Of all the things she en-
ment with South Park. On joys, building decks is prob-
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