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Mrs. Duly-Lisle has experienced her share of chauvinistic behaviour before, but this lat- est encounter, she said, was one of the worst and dragged on for six months. “They blocked me every which way to Sunday so they (didn’t) 'have to give me a machine," she said of the heavy equipment rental company she dealt with. But whén the machine finally arrived on May 22, Mrs. Duly-Lisle’s toughest job was just about to start. Because the couple had no house insur- ance, they moved to Welland to live with her father. Mr. [isle continued commuting to'Ibrontoâ€"hedoesqualityassurancefor Expertech, while Mrs. Duly-Lisle travelled to Niagara Falls where she was a heavy equip- ment operator instructor. N0 HOUSE INSURANCE The Lisles had no other choice but to the tear down the heavily damaged shell they called home for 20 years. A civil case is pending “Me and the neighbour, we've been friends for 20 years and l have to sue him now," she As a heavy equipment operator, Mrs. Dulyâ€" Lisle thought in order to save what little money the couple had, she would rent the equipment and demolish the house herself. “When you're doing it (the insurance com- pany) willnot insureyourhouse until thefire department comes and inspects it," she said. “We were hyper vigilant about fires because we knew we had no insurance." trophes." Despite the laughter, Mra Duly-Lisle is in pain. Before the fine. the couple had just com- a gem-elegance fireplace. Fire forced demolition From pp 1. She may have been forced upon the other workers, but once she got onto the job site, she was just another labourer, with one rule. “You never go out with the guys you work with, never,” she said. “The first crew I had when I worked at Con Drain was the best crew I ever had,” she said. In 1985' Mrs- DUIY'USIB deemed She'd had last before permanent retirernent. The Musselman’s Lake home was damaged in a fire. enough of ballroom dancing and tinkering w- with She wanted a new challenge. “They were like seven brothers. I was single had so much fun." After completing her GED (Mrs Duly-Lisle left high school in Grade 10), she enrolled in Sheridan College’s heavy equipment opera- tions program. She has A, C, Z and M licences. “The only thing that got me my jobs was the union," she said. “Because no one else is going to hire you unless they’ve really got an open mind and when you're talking consch- tion people, it doesn't go far." “ (My mom) always kept me in little crino- lines andsmfiJwasalittleBarbiedoll. But then at eight years old, I went: "I‘hat’s enough of that I'm not wearing that stufi no more.’ So Iwent to bicycles and I’d challenge theboysall the time,” she said. Despite giving up the frills. Mrs. Duly- Lisle continued dancing and even moved to Edmonton at 15 to become a ballroom dance instructor for Arthur Murray studios. “You’re supposed to be 21. I lied. I’ve been STAFF PHOTO/NICK IWANYSHYN 21 for a lot of years,”_mp_5§-xear-olq _ _ Heavy machine operator Cat Duly-[isle takes a break from demolishing her own house, her “It helps to be overqualified if you're a girl," she said. “(1) knocked myself (out) to get that (diploma). All my marks were honours.” Like mést little girls.â€" Mrs. Duly-Lisle took dancelessonsasachildandlovedit. “It's just horrific. I know what I'm sup- posedto do, I can’tdoit," shesaid. “I got out of the mathine at least 50 to 60 times," she said. “I'm emotionally exhausted I hardly sleep. I'm dying inside." Ifit were anybody else’s home, it would have been leveledinhalfa day. It tookherthree In 2007, after 22 years in the field, she turned her attention to training new heavy equipment operators. “They were like seven brothers. I was single then, too. When the Christmas party came around for Don Drain, I brought my father because if I would have brought a date those guys would have killed COUPLE PlANS 1'0 TRAVEL Mrs. Duly-Lisle has worked on projects throughout Ontario including six years con- structing Hwy. 407. “I’ve had about 200 students," she said. “Honest to God, that school was the best I Mrs. Duly-Lisle isn’t quite sure what she wants to do now. Once the civil case on the house fire has been settled, the couple will likely buy a motor home and travel North America. “It’s kids that have been bullied and Lord knows I know about being bullied," she said. had so much fun." In June 2009, she refired. Mrs Duly-Lisle is now a volunteer dog walker at the Welland and Distn'ct Humane Society. She also volunteers at a shelter for abused women and with Big Brothers Big Sisters.