Creating change and opportunity: A conversation with the Afro Canadian Contractors Association
In honour of Black History Month, CCA sat down with the Afro Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA) to talk about their inaugural year and focus for the future.
Afro Canadian Contractors Association
President: Stephen Callender
Website: www.accacan.com
Dedicated to fostering economic development in the Afro Canadian community, the Afro Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA) was founded by six business owners who share a passion for building an inclusive construction industry.
When Stephen Callender, ACCA President, joined CCA for a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion, he recounted the origins of the association.
“There was a meeting in Ottawa and one of the contractors was saying that they cannot find Black contractors to bid for work,” says Callender. “There was no organization that could say, ‘here, we have a list of Black contractors or we know of Black contractors’. There are some in the US and other countries, but not in Toronto, not in Canada. And we were beating around – should we start an organization, should we not?”
The COVID-19 pandemic put that discussion on the backburner, but when reports of nooses appearing on some construction sites outraged the entire industry it was agreed that the organization needed to move forward.
Incorporated on September 3, 2020, ACCA was officially launched to the public in February 2021 during Black History Month.
The group’s mission is to break down barriers that Black contractors face trying to get started in the business, help them land more lucrative contracts for larger projects, and increase the presence of underrepresented groups, including racialized women, in the skilled trades.
ACCA has accomplished a lot in its first year of operations, developing educational resources and aligning ACCA with strategic partners to help contractors grow their businesses, says Kara Morgan, ACCA’s director of operations.
“Our biggest accomplishment is having positive feedback from companies and people. It shows that ACCA is very much needed,” she says.
Stephen Callender, ACCA president, was recognized by the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) with the 2021 Collaboration Award.
ACCA has been a member of CCA’s anti-racism working group since its inception in 2021, working together with a variety of stakeholders to create positive change in the industry. Initiatives like Talent Fits Here, showcasing “toolbox talks” and other informative webinars are helping to address barriers to inclusive participation.
ACCA helps with what it believes to be two of the biggest challenges to running a construction contracting company: accessing capital and getting qualified workers to staff projects, a familiar concern throughout the construction industry.
There are also the day-to-day challenges of operating a business, including navigating the many by-laws, building codes and regulations that need to be followed. “When you’re starting out, it’s a lot to deal with,” says Morgan, “Having access to seasoned professionals who are in your field and who have cleared those hurdles can save you hours each day and thousands each month.”
Over the coming months, ACCA and their Board will be looking at ways to showcase Black contractors and tradespersons in targeted communities. “Getting rid of the stigma attached to being a construction worker or a tradesperson and highlighting the stability of this type of work is necessary,” says Morgan. “This industry has seen steady growth through some of the worst economic times, including COVID.”
ACCA is working to increase the presence of Black contractors and skilled workers, including racialized women, in the Canadian construction industry using the TRUST principle (Talented-Respectable-Unified-Skilled-Trades) and mentorship programs like NexGen.
ACCA considers its first year a resounding success and is encouraged by the positive feedback received from the public and community-serving organizations, says Morgan. Members are happy there is a place to go for information and collaboration from a group that understands their problems. ACCA is not only filling a gap in the industry, but the community as well.
For more information on the work ACCA is doing in the industry and the Afro Canadian community, we invite you to visit their website at www.accacan.com.