If it sounds like fun and something slight-ly
obscure, that’s exactly what it’s intended
to be. At least 20 women took part in the
day’s events outside of the conference hall
at Regina’s Delta Hotel.
“As soon as we know the dates for the
convention, it’s something that we start to
look forward to,” said Duncan. “It’s always a
blast. Everyone who takes part loves it.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said of this year’s
axe-throwing outing. “We’re always looking
to try something different, something you
wouldn’t normally do. We’ve gone out of our
comfort zones before. Everyone shares in a
lot of laughs.”
Duncan helps organize the group’s ac-tivities
for the year. Burlesque dance class-es,
wine pairings, fine dining and music
concerts are just a few of the functions the
troop has enjoyed at past conventions.
One year saw the women volunteer at a
Habitat for Humanity work site and lend a
hand in a home-building project. Next year,
the group has plans to pack food hampers
for local food banks.
But there’s more to this group than just
light-hearted fun and a lot of laughs. Deep
and lasting friendships have formed over
the years as women of all ages from across
the province have bonded like sisters.
“They’re each other’s support systems,
too,” said Shantel Lipp, president of SHCA.
“When the men are busy and construction
season is in full swing, they might not see
their husbands for two weeks at a time be-cause
they’re working long hours, they’re
manning the job site…That family compo-nent
sometimes gets blown apart from April
until November. And no one really ‘gets it’
unless you’re a part of the industry.
“A lot of these ladies have lived through
these things and can offer support or advice
or just an ear to some of those who maybe
haven’t lived it all that long. They’re really a
close-knit group and that’s easy to see.”
Duncan’s first SHCA Fall Convention was
in 1985, though there wasn’t a women’s pro-gram
then. The women who accompanied
their spouses to the annual convention
FEATURE
30 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2018 | saskheavy.ca