Listen to the

Nina & Mary – Part 1

Nina & Mary – Part 2

Joan Brigden – Part 1

Joan Brigden, a well-known riveter at the time, shares her memories of working at the Fort William Can-Car Plant and emphasizes the discrimination and inequalities women faced.

Joan Brigden – Part 2

In Part Two of this exciting interview, Joan continues her discussion of women’s inequalities while speaking about her working experiences, including in the office.

Maisie McCallum (nee Rushworth)

Maisie McCallum, a fabric stitcher and riveter, shares her experience working at the CanCar plant and explains how she had the honour of christening one of the first two local airplanes presented to the Wings of Britain program.

Florence & Alvina – Part 1

In part one of this fascinating interview, Florence and Alvina share some intriguing stories about their time working at the CanCar plant, whether it was welding different parts of the plane or union-related issues.

Florence & Alvina – Part 2

Florence and Alvina continue sharing stories of their time at the airplane factory, whether it was making new friends, working as part of a team, or playing cards during lunch hour.

Daun Nalezyty (nee Kannegiesse)

In this compelling interview, Daun shares her experience working at the Fort William CanCar factory and comments on the rigorous training process initiated at the plant.

Rhoda Mckay (nee Wise) – Part 1

Rhoda Mckay (nee Wise) – Part 2

Ledwiga “Liddy” Kondakow (nee Kwiatkowski) – Part 1

Ledwiga “Liddy” Kondakow (nee Kwiatkowski) – Part 2

Margaret Gandier (nee Kent) – Part 1

Ann Soulsby Interview

Ann Soulsby, the stepdaughter of Elsie MacGill, explains in this fascinating interview what the impact of growing up with Elsie was like and how, in many ways, influenced who she is today.

CBC Radio Interview

In this exciting radio interview, different Rosie’s share highlights of their time working at the Fort William CanCar plant during WW2. Furthermore, we hear from Gordon Burkowski, who wrote about the Fort William CanCar factory in his book CanCar: A History – 1912-1992.

We would also like to give special thanks to the Thunder Bay Museum for letting us use their archival image of Winston Hall.