Our Stories

At Woodside Industries, no two days are the same. And that's exactly how Kelsey Howard likes it.

For Kelsey, staying in Nova Scotia has always been the goal. After being offered a position in Western Canada, she decided to stay and work in Nova Scotia. Since joining Woodside Industries, Kelsey has found her career job, and a community building ships for Canada in the province she has always called home.

“Staying in Halifax is my number one priority. This is my home; this is where my family is and where I plan to raise a family. I don’t want to ever leave Halifax. To know that I can work in this job until I retire is really important. I want to stay at my job for the rest of my life.”

Kelsey’s journey into the trades began over ten years ago when she enrolled in Women Unlimited, a not-for-profit women’s organization in Nova Scotia that promotes the full participation of women in trades and technology.

Now a Red Seal Welder at Irving Shipbuilding, Kelsey helps produce intricate units for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard at Woodside Industries, a satellite location in Dartmouth. These complex units are then transported via barge to Halifax Shipyard to form mega blocks.

As progress continues on the AOPS program, Kelsey will soon begin working on building the most advanced and modern combat ship Canada has ever seen; the River-class destroyer.

While some may be unaware of Woodside Industries, Kelsey ensures her family and friends know exactly where her hard work and the work of her teammates takes place.

“I always make sure to point out Woodside Industries from across the harbour and say, ‘That’s where I work!’. My favourite part of the job is being able to look out and show people where I work and being able to point at the ships and say, ‘I’m a part of that’. I am very proud to work on these ships with such a great team. I’ve met some of my best friends through this job.”