NANAIMO – Aplin Martin has been hard at work for land development and municipal capital works clients since Scott Lewis opened their Vancouver Island office in 2017.
Along the way, the firm has added male and female team members that have helped spur that growth, says Civil Project Engineer Grace Harding, P. Eng.
Grace Harding, P. Eng
“Working here gives me the opportunity to contribute to projects that directly shape and support growing communities, including my own,” Grace says. “Women continue to play an important role women in construction and engineering. As someone still relatively early in my career, I’m proud to be part of a team that supports professional growth, mentorship, and delivering meaningful infrastructure projects throughout the region.”
Grace joined the firm in 2025, and her role involves overseeing the execution of multiple land development and municipal capital works projects throughout the Island.
“My responsibilities include project procurement, and coordinating those projects from design through construction, including design work, drafting, contract administration, permitting, and construction support,” she notes. “I also work closely with clients, consultants, and regulatory agencies throughout the process.
“One aspect of my role that I really value is the collaboration within our team. I work alongside a small group of women, and it’s been great to be part of an environment where teamwork, mentorship, and support are encouraged.”
Grace points out that Aplin Martin offers flexibility and support that allows employees to balance their professional and personal responsibilities.
“As a mother of two young children, having that flexibility has been incredibly important and has allowed me to continue growing in my career while still being present for my family,” she adds. “I’ve also found it encouraging to work in an environment where there are women represented across many areas of the company, including leadership and executive roles.
“Seeing women in a variety of positions, from technical and project roles through to the C-suite level, creates visibility and demonstrates that there are strong opportunities for growth and advancement within the industry.”
Scott Lewis, P. Eng, Branch Manager serviceing the Vancouver Island office.
While Aplin Martin doesn’t have specific, formal initiatives focused on attracting more women to the company, Grace has noticed their strong support for community involvement and outreach opportunities that help introduce young people to engineering and construction careers.
“One experience that stood out to me was volunteering at a local elementary school for a popsicle stick bridge-building competition,” she recalls. “It was a great opportunity to engage students in hands-on problem solving and introduce them to engineering concepts in a fun and accessible way.
“It was especially meaningful to see so many young girls participating and being able to demonstrate that women are represented in the industry. I think visibility and early exposure can make a big difference in encouraging more young women to consider careers in engineering and construction.”
A large reason for Aplin Martin’s success has been the people and the relationships the firm has built over time.
“There’s a strong team environment, and because we have both engineering and surveying services in-house, there’s a lot of collaboration between groups to help projects run smoothly,” she notes. “From what I’ve seen since joining the company, there’s also a real focus on supporting employees and producing quality work for clients and communities.
“People are approachable, willing to share knowledge, and genuinely care about the projects they’re working on, and I think that culture goes a long way.”
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