Toronto woman expertly calls out construction workers for leering
A woman was “openly leered at” yesterday by construction workers on Richmond Street.
This wasn’t an anonymous person; it was Amanda Galbraith, Mayor John Tory’s former communications director and current principal at Navigator Ltd. communications firm.
Crisis management is Galbraith’s domain. After the incident occurred, she took a picture of the construction workers huddled on the sidewalk at Richmond and Sheppard streets and posted it on Twitter.
I just walked through around a dozen men lining the sidewalk at 85 Richmond street. They didn’t say a word but they openly leered at me. I felt so uncomfortable I did not make eye contact. I don’t know who runs this site (see photo) but this is not okay. pic.twitter.com/VqhfSNdivm
— Amanda Galbraith (@agalbraith) July 2, 2019
Galbraith wrote, “I felt so uncomfortable I did not make eye contact.” She acknowledged that she is a “very confident and secure person,” but her “internal alarm went off like crazy.”
I’m a very confident and secure person. But my internal alarm went off like crazy. Women will know what I’m talking about, it’s the one that makes you cross the street when you see a group of guys because you don’t want to draw their attention. I’ve had enough.
— Amanda Galbraith (@agalbraith) July 2, 2019
She added that she couldn’t imagine how younger women would feel and wanted to speak up for those who are in a more vulnerable position. “I should be able to walk to a meeting without feeling objectified.”
Galbraith flagged the intersection to whoever runs the site and clearly said, “This is not okay.”
A couple hours later, PCL Construction responded to Galbraith’s tweet, thanking her for bringing the inappropriate incident to their attention. “We do not condone this behaviour,” the company wrote.
Hi Amanda, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We take these comments seriously and do not condone this type of behavior. We are looking into this matter further.
— PCLConstruction (@PCLConstruction) July 2, 2019
PCL Construction said they are looking into the situation further.
