When Carla Parslow founded Parslow Heritage Consultancy Inc. (PHC) in 2019, she set out to build the kind of company she wished had existed earlier in her own career. Today, the Ontario-based cultural resource management firm has grown from one full-time employee and a small seasonal team to a thriving business with 62 employees, providing archaeological assessments that help protect Ontario's archaeological sites, artifacts, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes before development begins.
After spending years with an environmental engineering firm, Carla reached a career crossroads that inspired her to launch her own business. She also wanted to create opportunities in a profession where leadership remained overwhelmingly male.
PHC works with both public- and private-sector clients, supporting projects ranging from road construction and subdivisions to residential developments. Whether working with municipalities or private developers, Carla believes success comes from building trusted partnerships.
"When I enter into a contract, I am committed to protecting the client's best interests, even when that means sharing difficult information that may affect their development plans. I present the best available options so we can solve challenges together."
Like many women entrepreneurs, Carla has had to navigate a changing business landscape. Increasing regulatory scrutiny, shifting government priorities, and uncertainty around heritage protection all create challenges for archaeological consulting firms. Despite these pressures, PHC remains committed to its mission:
"Discover and learn from the past to develop and build the future."
PHC's WBE Canada journey began with a simple question from a City of Toronto project manager: "Are you WBE certified?"
Although Carla had proudly described her company as women-owned since launching the business, she soon learned that formal certification carried far more weight, particularly as supplier diversity became an increasingly important part of public procurement.
Initially skeptical, Carla researched WBE Canada Certification and the City of Toronto's social procurement program before deciding certification was the right investment.
Today, that decision continues to create new opportunities.
As one of Ontario's only WBE-certified archaeology firms, PHC has become a valuable partner on large engineering and environmental projects where supplier diversity strengthens overall proposals. The company's certification has also led to direct requests for quotations from municipalities and organizations committed to inclusive procurement.
"WBE certification has become an asset. It strengthens our proposals while helping larger firms understand the value of diverse procurement."
While certification has opened doors, Carla says one of its greatest benefits has been the community.
When she first joined WBE Canada, she wondered whether an archaeology firm would fit alongside businesses from completely different industries. Those doubts disappeared after attending Supplier Innovation Day 2025 in Toronto, where conversations with other women business owners revealed shared experiences despite very different businesses.
"WBE Canada offers a support system where you are not alone. You do not need to sell the same product or service to understand and learn from one another."
By 2026, Carla had gone from questioning whether her business belonged as she applied for certification in 2022, to taking the stage at this year’s Supplier Innovation Day in Toronto, to sharing her own entrepreneurial journey and encouraging other women-owned businesses. She has turned her feelings of insecurity into empowering others - bringing real-life experiences to WBE Canada’s mission of support and growth for Canada’s growing women entrepreneurs.
As PHC continues to grow, Carla's focus is on building a business that can thrive independently of her day-to-day involvement while investing in the next generation of archaeologists through university apprenticeship and co-op partnerships.
Her long-term vision is equally ambitious: expanding beyond Ontario into Manitoba, Quebec, and eventually a national presence.
For Carla, entrepreneurship has always been about more than growing a business. It is about preserving history, creating opportunities, and proving that women-owned businesses—no matter how specialized—have an important place in Canada's supplier diversity ecosystem.
For more information about Parslow Heritage Consultancy Inc. www.phcgroup.ca
For more information about WBE Canada Certification: www.wbecanada.ca/certification
