shaking the foundations

The building where I work is a tiny red brick structure that once housed the Victorian Childrens' Hospital. It's haunted by the ghosts of very small children. I know this because sometimes you can hear them crying late at night.

Toronto is going through some kind of a building frenzy, and we are surrounded on all sides by construction. To the west, the Toronto General Hospital and University of Toronto are launching massive multi-story structures almost across the street from each other. Glass appears to be the construction material of choice for 2005. It's actually kind of fascinating, because you can look right through the new building to see where it connects up with the pre-existing brick one.

I've been wondering how long it will take for people to notice the students who stand under the University building and stare up under the desks of the office workers. Or maybe the administration isn't expecting any of their staff to wear skirts.

To the east a company is putting up a new condominium. With considerably less glass. There are gigantic ads showing young people with fashionable hair and slightly hysterical smiles. I am always wondering why modern advertising seems to feature such prominent teeth.

And to the south they have completely blocked off access to the street and put up massive cages to hide the work. At the time it went up I assumed it was just another road resurfacing, but they've been there for over a month. There are huge cranes inside what seems to be a fairly small area. It wasn't until I was walking past the opposite wall during my 3AM break with coffee in hand that I notice that big sign that says Deep Lake Water Cooling Project. I peered through the fence but couldn't see much other than what seemed like some really heavy duty equipment. I suspect there is a shaft in there.

As a result of all this, men in bright yellow hats and very dirty boots are all over the place. I tend not to notice them much unless they are stepping out into the path of my bike, much like I tend not to notice other strangers who pass me by on a daily basis. We just don't interact much.

And some things I've read recently has started to make me wonder if that's unusual.

I've reads lots of old stories about women being harassed every time they walked past a construction site. Even seen episodes of old television sitcoms dealing with the subject. And I've always just assumed that it was some archaic problem from a less enlightened time. Like before I was born.

But recently I've read feminist communities and blogs where women are complaining about it. Talking about it happening now. In 2005.

And it has never ever happened to me. Not when I was a teenager. Not when I was in my 20's and dressed in nothing but cleavage and a wide belt. And now that I'm grey and chubby and passing at least four construction sites every day I'm not seeing it happening to anybody else either.

My father worked construction for years. And even though he was a bit of a tomcat in his younger days, and not above having a good look if it was showing, he had three daughters. I can't imagine a site full of grown men hollering obscenities at a teenage girl wouldn't have made him uncomfortable.

So is this just an American thing? Is it a problem in other places in Canada? Or in England? Or is southern Ontario just a sheltered little bubble?

Now I'm wondering.