Amber Czech. Remember the name.
She is the acetylene torch that will blaze through the dark corners of unsafe worksites—a touchstone reminding us that safety and inclusion are not optional. They are the backbone of every crew and the foundation for a brighter future. The 20-year-old Minnesota woman was allegedly killed on Nov. 11 by a co-worker at Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato. It has been reported that a 40-year-old man, David Bruce Delong, attacked Czech with a sledgehammer, reportedly saying he did not like her. Police attempted life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Delong was taken into custody without incident and faces second-degree murder charges. The motive remains unclear, but speculation misses the point. The key takeaway is safety.
Safety needs to be the focus
The trades face persistent labour shortages. Whether or not this tragedy could have been prevented is now secondary to the urgent question: how do we ensure that every worksite is safe? Representation matters, both for safety and equity. In Ontario alone, more than 14,000 women work directly on the tools, yet women account for only about five per cent of on-site construction trades workers. Nationally, women remain significantly underrepresented in skilled trades occupations, making up roughly five per cent of skilled trades workers, even as their participation slowly increases. Across the broader construction sector—including off-site, administrative, and professional roles—women account for approximately 13 to 14 per cent of the workforce. The experience on the ground helps explain why progress is slow.
Surveys conducted by the Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen report that more than half of respondents—about 52 per cent—have experienced harassment at work. Structural barriers persist as well, including ill-fitting personal protective equipment, inadequate washroom facilities, and limited access to childcare, all of which continue to restrict participation and retention. Diversity isn’t only about gender. Statistics Canada reports that visible minorities are underrepresented among certified journey-persons relative to their share of the Canadian population. This underrepresentation reduces opportunity, constrains the labour pool, and weakens safety culture at a time when the trades urgently need workers.
Personal history
I know these barriers personally. Growing up in Scarborough in the 1980s, the echoes of jokes and slurs bounced off school hallways and concrete courtyards. I never looked “Canadian” to the haters—those who hurled words meant to silence me. My grandmother arrived from China in 1908, caring for three young children before she could build a new life in Toronto. Despite my family’s deep roots, the sense of not belonging shadowed my youth. I haven’t faced harassment in my current job, yet the memories remain—a shadow that reminds me silence allows danger to linger. Harassment, left unchecked, can escalate. Safety is everyone’s responsibility: management, supervisors, and co-workers alike. The best teams are like families, and families watch out for each other.
My father, a draughtsman, occasionally faced racism in the trades. It didn’t dissuade me from entering the workforce, but it reminded me of the vigilance required. Employers across the trades are eager to attract more workers. Let’s ensure that everyone—regardless of gender or race—feels included. Narrowing the labour pool limits opportunity; widening it strengthens teams, boosts morale, and improves safety. No one heading to a job site should feel fear. Safety begins with all of us, and it starts by speaking up for each other.
Amber Czech’s story is more than a statistic. She is a spark—a reminder that workplaces can and must be safer, more inclusive, and more humane for everyone who steps onto the site.