78-year-old construction supervisor has no plans to retire from Mississauga company

At 78 years old, Domingos Figueiredo says he has no plans to retire from a job he loves with a Mississauga company.

Figueiredo works as a construction supervisor with Bothwell-Accurate, a 100-year-old construction company near Toronto Pearson Airport, which specializes in roofing and cladding for large buildings.

Although many people dream of retirement — some even as early as 55 years old — Figueiredo says he enjoys his work so much, he hasn’t considered leaving.

“I like what I am doing, that’s why I am still here,” Figueiredo told INsauga.com. “If you don’t like what you do, you get fed up, but I like what I am doing.”

Born in Portugal, Figueiredo fled the country at 18 years old because the country’s dictator, António de Oliveira Salazar, was conscripting men to fight colonial wars. The government was unpopular, and people did not agree with the wars. Figueiredo had also just met his future wife.

They met briefly when he was on his way to Lisbon to start work as a cod fisherman, and she was leaving with her family to emigrate to Canada. Even though they only had a brief meeting on the street, they wrote to each other and married by proxy (through paperwork), a short time later. He was 18, and she was 16 years old.

He fled to France and worked in an oil refinery with his brother before making his way to Toronto to be with his wife in 1968. They are still married today.

He got a job in roofing after a brief honeymoon. He changed jobs and started work at Bothwell-Accurate in May 1970. His brother-in-law worked at the company. In one year, he was promoted to foreman. He has now been a supervisor for 48 years.

Figueiredo said the job has changed over the years.

“You learn something every day,” he said, adding that there have been many advancements in construction materials, and there is a stronger focus on safety.

He has also watched the city grow over the years, remembering a time when the Royal York Hotel was the tallest building in Toronto.

Figueiredo worked on many buildings across the city, including the Eaton Centre and the Macdonald Block Complex in Queen’s Park. He has worked on some buildings twice, replacing the roof after 40 years.

When he’s in the car with his grandkids, they ask, “Did you build that one, grandpa?” His answer is often “yes.”

Domingos Figueiredo, 78, loves his job as a construction supervisor with Bothwell-Accurate. Photo: Karen Longwell

George Vassallo, CEO of Bothwell-Accurate, says general contractors ask to work with Figueiredo. They know he is honest and they respect him.

“He is a legend in the industry,” Vassallo says.

Bothwell-Accurate is a Canadian company, founded in 1927. It has grown over the years to employ about 1,000 people with offices in Mississauga and Surrey, B.C. and plans to expand to Ottawa.

Vassallo says the company needs people like Figueiredo because of his experience, but also because of his dedication to the job.

“He’s got the heart, he’s got the passion,” he says.

Figueiredo has a strong work ethic.

“He cares about the company, and he cares about the people he works with,” says Vassallo.

He won’t even take a full weekend off and comes to work on Saturdays. His wife has joked that she will bring a mattress to his work.

He goes to job sites and advises on several projects. He also stays in shape by taking brisk walks every evening.

Figueiredo has two children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

His son and two grandkids work at Bothwell-Accurate. He also has a younger brother who still works for the company.

“Our company owes a ton to his family,” Vassallo says.