On November 24, the ConnectHER Hub hosted a reading and roundtable conversation at the BCIT School of Construction and the Environment, welcoming writers Kate Braid and Christina Shah for an evening exploring how lived experience in construction and heavy industry can be expressed through storytelling and creative practice.
During the event, both speakers shared readings drawn from work shaped directly by their professional lives. Kate Braid, a former construction carpenter, contractor, and BCIT instructor, read passages from her non-fiction writing, including reflections from The Erotics of Cutting Grass: Reflections on a Well-Loved Life. Her work explores how labour, identity, and meaning evolve over time, demonstrating how experiences in construction can inform thoughtful and reflective storytelling.
Christina Shah, who works in heavy industry and lives in New Westminster, read poetry influenced by industrial environments and lived experience. Her writing reflects the intensity, complexity, and embodied nature of industrial work, translating workplace realities into poetic form.
Following the readings, the gathering shifted into an open roundtable discussion. Participants asked questions about the writers’ creative journeys, and the conversation highlighted the importance of storytelling as a way to build connection, foster community, and help people feel seen and understood within traditionally male-dominated sectors.
The event brought together trades students, faculty, and community members. By creating space for shared dialogue and reflection, the gathering underscored how storytelling and creative expression can support belonging, well-being, and connection within technical and physically demanding fields.
The gathering was made possible through the support of Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions and the Embark Student Foundation’s Major Grant Program.
To learn more about upcoming ConnectHER Hub events, mentorship opportunities, and community initiatives, visit the ConnectHER Hub webpage and follow @connectherhub on Instagram.