Meet morgan lavallee

Acres is celebrating 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 by highlighting the contributions of the wonderful women that make up our team!

Get to know Morgan Lavallee, an Equipment Operator who got her start in construction at the mere age of 17 and quickly discovered a passion for the industry.  

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

It was kind of a fluke actually! I was 17 years old and I needed a job. I got hired as a flagger and then the journey just continued.

I really enjoy the culture in construction and the challenge of it all. Every job is unique and there’s always an opportunity to learn something new.

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫?

When I first joined Acres, I was a labourer, then I moved up to a rock truck driver and now I’m operating a dozer. I was able to move up quite quickly because of my previous experience as an Equipment Operator.

Every day is a bit different. It always starts with a toolbox meeting, then we get rolling with the tasks at hand for the day.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲?

Be confident. If construction is something you want to pursue, then stick with it. Sometimes you do have to push a little harder in the field as a female, but just keep motivated and do it. There definitely are some challenges, as construction is still largely a male-dominated field. It may feel like you need to show your value more, but when you work hard and really care about the work you do, that doesn’t go unnoticed.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟?

I’m really proud of the operator I have become because I honestly didn’t expect it. You see others do it and I remember thinking to myself, “No, I can’t do that!” I proved myself wrong and exceeded my own expectations. What I’m capable of now is rewarding in itself. I started out as a flagger and now I’m able to competently run different pieces of equipment. I’m proud of my journey in the industry.