SAANICHTON – When most people think of careers in construction and trades, telecommunications rarely comes to mind.
But it should. And the women at Driftwood Communications are proof of exactly that.
Driftwood Communications is a privately held telecommunications infrastructure company headquartered in Saanichton, delivering fibre and outside-plant network construction across Western Canada. Founded in 1996, the company has spent nearly three decades as an integral part of Canada’s digital infrastructure, from rural fibre-to-the-home builds in underserved communities to long-haul fibre routes spanning British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.
Telecom is booming. Women belong in it.
Canada is in the middle of a connectivity revolution. Federal mandates require high-speed internet to reach every community in the country. Rural broadband programs are pouring billions into infrastructure. Fibre networks are being built, upgraded, and expanded at a pace the industry has never seen before.
Behind every connection, every router, every kilometre of cable running beneath our roads and along our utility poles, there is a team of skilled professionals making it happen.
Telecommunications is a trade.
It requires technical expertise, project management discipline, design precision, and field execution. It offers competitive wages, career growth, and the satisfaction of building something that genuinely changes people’s lives. And yet it remains one of the least visible career paths for women entering the trades.
Driftwood Communications is working to change that.
Driftwood Communications team members are ready to meet their clients needs
The women of Driftwood
Across project management, civil design, coordination, finance, and administration, women are central to how Driftwood operates and delivers:
- Jennifer Gent, A/P and Payroll Administratorkeeps the financial engine running, managing accounts payable and payroll across Driftwood’s Western Canadian operations.
- Connie McConnell, Senior Executive Administratorbrings broad expertise across corporate communications, HR support, proposal writing, and project administration, serving as a connective thread across the organization.
- Kellie Burnett, Project Manager, Centralized Portfolio Managementleads complex telecom projects from planning through to delivery, managing timelines, stakeholders, and field teams across the region.
- Cheryl Saele, Project Manager, Centralized Portfolio Managementbrings a steady hand to multi-stakeholder programs, keeping projects on track and clients informed from kickoff to close-out.
- Kylie Kennedy, Project Coordinator, Centralized Portfolio Managementsupports the execution of active programs, coordinating moving parts across design, permitting, construction, and documentation.
- Stephani Rioch, Civil Design Technician, Network Designworks on the technical side of infrastructure planning, translating route requirements into precise civil designs that guide construction in the field.
A career worth considering
Telecom infrastructure is not a sector that shuts down. As long as Canadians need connectivity, which is to say always, there will be demand for the people who plan, build, and maintain the networks that deliver it. The industry is growing, the work is meaningful, and the career paths are real.
Driftwood also partners with ReimagineWork for HR services, relying on the expertise of Alanna Dare-Gammage to support its people and culture. It is a model that reflects how modern trades companies are building smarter, more people-focused organizations by bringing in specialized expertise where it matters most.
Driftwood is proud of the women on its team and proud to operate in an industry where skilled people of every background have a place to build something lasting.
Current Positions Available
Strategic Partnerships & Government Programs, and Business Development Manager, Telecom & Connectivity.
