March 17, 2026
It was 101 years ago that Esther Marjorie Hill (Marjorie), became the first female registered architect in Canada at a time when the profession offered few pathways for women to enter, let alone succeed. While reading about Marjorie, it stood out that as she worked to be a pioneer for women in architecture, she was supported by those willing to help break down barriers along her journey. When we think about how important some of those people were to Marjorie’s success, a picture begins to emerge of how mentorship can help us achieve our goals.
Give to Gain
Marjorie was supported by people willing to advocate, help lift her voice, hire her and share the stage with her. When Marjorie’s first application to register in Alberta was denied in 1921, despite her successful completion of the University of Toronto architectural program, it underscored how narrow access to the profession remained. At a time when licensing was tightly regulated, the Minister of Education put forward an amendment to the Alberta Professional Architects’ Act to broaden who could be admitted. In 1925, Marjorie became a Registered Architect with many a recommendation letter and more experience that could not be overlooked. We can’t know the path Marjorie’s career might have taken, but we do know that it was another woman and pioneer within the architectural field in the U.S., Kathryn C. Budd, who hired Marjorie later that year; an early example of how opportunity, when shared, can help shape the future.
Without people who supported her, Majorie’s battle would have been significantly harder. Maybe even impossible. Marjorie’s story reflects the broader truth that progress is rarely individual. It is shaped by those who advocate, open doors, and share what they have learned. Today, women continue to build on that legacy across architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interior design, technology, and many related fields. According to the 2021 Census, women now represent 37.9% of architects in Canada, a figure that rises when we consider the full range of disciplines shaping the built environment.
With the theme for International Women’s Day 2026 being Give to Gain, we recognize how important it is to have people who lend their time, knowledge, effort and support to others.
Mentorship and The Journey to Now
Mentorship is now an integral part of the architectural profession. We all learn from someone, whether it is a formal mentorship required for licensing or informal learning, training and knowledge sharing as we progress through our careers.
For someone like Breanna Curren, Intern Architect in Halifax her experience could be considered rather unique. She is in a way, a third-generation mentee of other women architects. A49 Atlantic’s Managing Principal, Stacey Hughes was mentor to Catherine Hefler when Catherine joined the firm 10 years ago. Now Catherine, who is the National Sector Leader for Education, serves as mentor to interns and new professionals like Breanna. Stacey’s teaching methods were inclusive in a way that Catherine said felt natural and have informed the way she approaches mentoring.
Stacey included me in everything, gave me time to prepare and workshop the tasks and to me that allowed me to do my best work. The more successes, the more responsibility I wanted, and she was happy to let me step up and help. I didn’t feel like there was any having to prove myself. There were opportunities and if you do a good job, you get more opportunities. That’s the way I approach it with people, try to give them a variety of chances to excel. Catherine
That inclusion was a theme reiterated in each of the interviews we conducted for this article. Be it mentor or mentee, each of them consistently acknowledged that being included in the full lifecycle of a project, is the driver of comprehensive learning and success.
Involvement doesn’t have to be loud either. Jessica Dipaolo is a Technologist out of Thunder Bay who has been working with Architect Moumee Habib to take over as a Project Manager for the region. Through this working relationship, Jessica has applied those lessons with her own knowledge into leading her project teams, becoming a mentor in her own right.
I’ve learned from watching Moumee work with clients, work with our team and how she goes through a project. She includes me on everything. Now when I’m working with a team with newer staff, mentoring becomes just one of those natural things. You’re there for your team and the new people. I want everyone to have the tools they need to do their job and succeed Jessica
Learning isn’t shaped only by assigned tasks, but by meaningful involvement from the ground up, where shared experience leads to deeper understanding and trust between colleagues.
I don’t want to go into projects and mentorship sounding like I know everything because I don’t. I want to be transparent and figure out the next steps together, looking at tasks like more of a collaborative process. Even on projects Jessica isn’t working on I’ll have her look at it and get her perspective. Other times I’ll think of something we need to look at, and she’s already done it and is taking the initiative on those things Moumee
These stories show that mentorship is not a one way exchange. When knowledge, trust, and opportunity are shared openly, the impact extends far beyond any single relationship. What begins as guidance for one person strengthens teams, builds confidence, and creates space for others to step forward. In this way, mentorship becomes less about individual success and more about collective growth.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
When learning it stands to reason that the best way to move forward is to ask questions. Don’t know how to do something? Ask. It should be simple. The reality is that for a lot of women there can be a feeling of needing to know everything right away to be taken seriously and be given your place at the table. Historically, there has been little to no room for error for the professional woman. As we progress, the tides are bound to shift with some help from those who encourage change. What if, as women enter the field, they could see examples of leaders in their own firms who don’t always have the answers. Listening to our mentors, that is exactly the kind of environment they are aiming to create.
There can be a hesitation to ask questions, especially early on. With experience, you realize that not having the answer isn’t a reflection of you, it’s just a problem that needs solving. Moumee
There’s something with being a leader in the office where you can help create an atmosphere of collaboration. There are always people that you can go to with a thought or an idea, and they help you build on what you’re trying to do. I’m trying to be that for other people. Catherine
For Bhavana Bonde, National Practice Leader Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, mentorship is deeply tied to creating spaces where curiosity, vulnerability and diverse perspectives are not only welcomed, but encouraged. She approaches mentorship as a two-way process in which she can learn just as much as those she is teaching. The result are new professionals who aren’t afraid to speak up and ask questions. Simranpreet Kaur, a Landscape Architectural Intern, is a perfect example as she casually explained that she knows any question she has will have someone willing to answer.
Together, these voices reflect a culture where learning is shared, trust is built, and success is understood as something we achieve together.
By having these diverse groups and opinions, the thinking is richer. Everybody brings very different perspectives and that make your designs richer and furthers what you can achieve on projects. Bhavana
One-Size Need Not Fit All
As we break down barriers and further representation to be inclusive of professionals from all walks of life, we open ourselves to a future of our industry that is bursting with life, ideas and inspiration. Our team, ideas, and leadership are as unique as the individuals behind them. Having the opportunity to witness the women leaders within our firm at work, we are reminded of how far we have come and how important it is to keep going.
They’re all such different women and they each have a different style of leadership. It shows that there are so many ways that you can be a woman. You don’t have to be the one facet to get a meeting done or to have people respect you.” Bhavana
Breanna’s reflections speak to the power of seeing leadership embodied in many different forms. That sense of possibility is echoed by Simranpreet, who finds inspiration not only in professional success, but in the values and care that underpin it.
Seeing Bhavana succeed as a person of colour working in a country other than where she was born is truly inspiring and gives me hope. She is one of the firm’s national leaders, yet she always puts her team first, she genuinely cares. Simranpreet
Together, these perspectives remind us that there is no single way to lead, no prescribed path to success, and no one definition of what a woman in architecture should look like. Leadership can be quiet or bold, directive or collaborative, rooted in technical expertise or in empathy; often, it is a combination of all of these. What matters most is that women are have opportunities to lead authentically, supported by environments that recognize and value difference as a strength.
A Century in the Making
Seeing women mentor, lead, and advocate for one another within our firm is a powerful reminder that success does not follow a single path. Strength, leadership, and expertise show up in many forms, and none require fitting into a predefined mold. Each generation builds on the one before it, not by replicating it, but by expanding what leadership can look like.
One hundred and one years after Esther Marjorie Hill became Canada’s first registered woman architect, the profession continues to evolve. Progress has been shaped by those willing to share knowledge, create space, and lift others as they rise. As we look ahead, the message is clear: when women are supported to lead authentically and inclusively, our teams are stronger, our work is richer, and our collective future is brighter. Because when women succeed, we all thrive.