Constable Sue Solman says policing has come a long way from the early 2000s when she joined.
Solman grew up around policing with her father Harley Solman, a longtime sworn officer with the North Bay Police Service.
"So when I first came on, there were not many women on patrol," she admitted.
"I really looked up to the senior female officers that were here, and I realized quite quickly that we were underrepresented."
Solman started her policing career at 28 years of age, at that time and age, she understood her value as a woman.
"I don't want to be too negative, but at the time, it's changed from when I started to where it is now," she admitted.
"That inclusivity is huge, and understanding the value of women and policing now is finally understood."
She believes there was a lot of misogyny when she started. "My dad was here, and I recognized the misogyny in policing, but we were continuously disempowered as women."
At the time Solman says it was quite clear that women had a role, and that was only for domestics and sexual assaults.
"If you didn't use your voice and stand up for yourself and have people recognize that you were so much more than just that, you weren't going to make it very well," she said.
Times have changed
Solman credits senior female officers for helping her battle through the gender challenges in policing back then.
However, Solman admits times have certainly changed for the better for women in policing here in North Bay.
"Now our worth and our value is recognized," she said.
"That we bring a little bit different perspective to things to the table, that our problem solving abilities are a little bit different and that our attitudes towards ourselves have changed as well.
"We're not waiting to be invited to sit at the table. We're pulling up a chair to the table. And it's been welcomed, I think it's only going to skyrocket from here, that inclusion of women with the change of our command. We feel a lot more valued and respected."
As an experienced officer, Solman has become a mentor for young female officers in the North Bay Service. She was also awarded a Heroes Beyond the Badge Award from the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police back in December.
See related: Caring local officer wins Heroes Beyond the Badge Award
Daryl Longworth, the North Bay Police Chief, says the female members of their team are integral to the job they do at the North Bay Police Service.
"We are working to encourage new female recruits and have plans for targeted advertising and attendance at university and college career fairs," he said.
"We recognize that there is always more that can be done to break down barriers that face women in policing and aim to provide ample opportunities for female members of our team to develop their careers and grow within the Service.
"This includes being an active member of the Ontario Association of Chief's of Police's 'Advancing 'WE' In Policing' working group; providing officers with training and education opportunities; and attendance at national and provincial conferences in order to better educate all of our members on the challenges and barriers faced by women in policing."
Women in policing by the numbers
Recent provincial statistics revealed the service continues to hire more female officers. In 2008, the service had 11 women in policing, which was only 12.5 per cent. That number rose to 17.92 per cent in 2023 where they had 19 female officers.
David Woolley, corporate communications officer with the Police Service says that number has risen to 20 per cent of sworn officers being female in 2025.
