Pride, work, and perseverance: Newfoundland woman forged ahead in male-dominated trade
It was the promise of adventure that drew Nicole Badcock to the Canadian military.
Originally from Sorel, Que., she joined the service in September 1974, not long after the Canadian Armed Forces expanded roles for women who wanted to serve.
“My friend from school brought in one of those pamphlets from the military. The only recruiting centre was Montreal. And, so, I went there once and just decided that was what I wanted to do,” she recalls.
Badcock, who now lives in South River, N.L., did her English training at CFB Borden and then went to Kingston, Ont. for her trades training. She became a teletype technician, doing maintenance on the military’s communications equipment. She had a love of mechanical things, enjoyed taking them apart and putting them back together.
In the early years, she enjoyed the work tremendously. Her first posting in North Bay, Ont. was a huge learning opportunity.
“It was a very specific trade, there were only three hundred and fifty of us in the entire military. It was a great job, I enjoyed every minute of it,” says Badcock.
“I learned a lot in North Bay, which was my first posting. The men there were a little older. They were happy to teach; they didn’t mind having women in the trade.”
She joined the service only three years after the Canadian Armed Forces expanded roles for women following the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1971. She had to learn that parts of the military, like the wider society at the time, were not ready to accept women in non-traditional roles.
“Where I worked, along the way later on, when I was in Borden, the boss had no use for women in his trade. And I was in Borden for 10 years under that man. So, you can get what I'm saying. As a woman in a man’s trade, I tell you, you fight all the way.”
The maternity leave that existed at the time was what she describes as primitive. When Badcock’s children were born, she was given a scant three months’ leave, during which time she had to draw EI as her salary was not continued during her absence. Facing pressure from all sides, Badcock adopted a survival strategy of focusing on her work.
“I did my job and I was happy to do my job. If they liked my job, well, great. If they don’t, so be it. I do the best I can,” she says.
“I had endured abuse of all sorts, discrimination because I was a woman, and also because I was French. I had to fight to keep my little place in that world. All throughout, there was a lot of underlying sexual pressure for all kinds of reasons until I was not ‘young and pretty’ anymore.”
Throughout her service, Badcock’s four daughters are and were a source of pride and strength for her. Now, she chooses to focus on the things that have changed for the better for women in the military, and the role she played in advancing the cause of female equality in a maledominated era.
“Everybody reacts differently to trauma. I chose to go forward and concentrate on my children because they were the most important in my life. Even they have no clue what I lived through and that is OK with me,” she says.
“I was glad to help pave the way for the future of women in the military as others before me have done for me. And, now, they have more time and fathers now have the option as well, so my little contribution helped change the rules. I am very glad of that.”
Badcock had battles. A motorcycle accident in 1977 that caused a brain injury. Leaving the forces in 1978. Returning in 1982. Fighting for recognition, and not always receiving it.
Through it all, Badcock is able to look back on her service as a whole with pride. When she retired, she had achieved the rank of master corporal.
“I am still very proud to have served and to have worn the uniform with pride and dignity. I can still keep my head high because I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. I've always been proud of the uniform, proud of what I was doing, and to be there for my country if my country needed me.”