THE VISION

2016:

After the Fort Mac Fire, I took advantage of government programs and went back to school to pivot into architecture. Unfortunately, my years spent in Oil and Gas, construction material suppliers, and customer service were hardly considered relevant when I re-entered the workforce. So, while working various term positions, the desire to take control of my future got stronger.

2019:

Refusing to give up on pursuing a future in Architecture, I explored self employment training to gain the specific knowledge for how to start and run a small company. Focused on drafting and design, a desire to explore architectural visualizations, and offer affordable drafting solutions to those on small budgets that needed quality plans.

2020:

Queue the Pandemic, getting married to my best friend, employment with a spec home-builder that lasted 18 months. I now had incredible support from my husband, more knowledge after working for a spec builder and a desire to return to school to pursue a BSc Architecture. So I did!

2022:

Ardra Drafting became Ardra Vision. With the re-branding, came a focus on Architectural Visualizations to convey the design intent of Architects and Designers. I continued to periodically provide drafting services, focusing instead on working as a 'ghost drafter' for firms, helping people with accessibility modifications, retrofitting and renovations. Drafting is a passion of mine, but it can be stressful due to the technicalities involved. In a time that life threw stress like it was confetti, I chose to focus on visualizations for my ongoing clients.

2023:

My husband was sent to The Netherlands for work and I was able to join him for the 2.5 weeks, fortunate to be able to explore Rotterdam for two weeks while I completed that school term. Upon our return his mobility significantly declined, and we had to find a new home that was accessible enough and in our budget. I returned to the workforce and was fortunate to find a spot with Brian Allsopp, a local Architect with decades of experience.

2024:

Within a year of our trip to the Netherlands, my husband became a full time ambulatory wheelchair user and at the end of the year retired from full time employment with the support of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). While my husband and I navigated the changes, I was fortunate to have the support of Brian and his team. Continuing to learn, develop and grow as an Architectural Technologist, Contract Administrator and was mentored on my Project Management skills. Leaving this role was not an easy decision, but a major surgery & return to school became a strong motivator of change.

2025-ONWARD:

The past several years has been anything but easy, and as strange as it seems, my clients have been one of my biggest sources of support. My husband and I have tackled significant health challenges and declines, our own home accessibility modifications, and significant repairs of high-risk 'fixes' the previous owner made, I've learned a lot about being adaptable, flexible and even how to renovate. Obtaining my Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification is the next big step in becoming a better advocate for those that I love, and strangers I am yet to meet!