The Parkland Institute

Roughneck, bruised head

A tale of women, toughness and safety in Alberta's gas fields

Chantal Desharnais is no stranger to the outdoors or manual labour. As many before her, the lucrative summer work in Calgary's natural gas industry would allow her to make enough money to cover her tuition and help with student loan debts. But while she was prepared for the physical rigour of the work, Desharnais never expected the sexism she would face or the serious injuries she would sustain. Beyond what she saw as a culture of "only the tough survive," the fact she is a woman seemed to make it all that more thrilling for others to see her fail.

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