Sharing the stories of the inspiring local business owners that make up our diverse community. Presented by 2019 summer students- Laura Dumbrell and Parami Wijesundara.
Gordana- La Fair Hair Salon (3468 Danforth Ave)
“I was born in Macedonia and I came to Canada when I was 16 years-old. I loved to do hair and I have always known, ever since I was young, that I wanted to have my own hair salon. I remember playing with dolls as a child, doing their hair. After I finished school, I went to Bruno’s School of Hair Design to study. When I finished school there, I found out that there was a salon for sale in this neighbourhood. A similar business had already been established here- it used to be a barber shop. So I bought it in 1995 and it’s been 24 years since I’ve been here.
Because the business was already here, people loved me right away, and this neighbourhood is fantastic. It is a very nice area to live and to work. So far, there have been no great hardships for me. It’s been a good ride. Most of my clients are regular clients, and when new people come- if they love me- they recommend me to their families and friends. Like I mentioned, the people here are amazing and they support me, so it has been a great place to work.
My advice for young people looking to start their own salon would be that you really have to focus, work long hours, and you really have to love it- not just like it. It’s nice being your own boss, but you have to love it and you have to practice. Practice makes perfect. If you don’t love it, then it’s just going to be too much work. To me, every client is memorable- I don’t treat anyone that sits in the chair any differently than the client who came before or after. They are all special. If you treat people differently, then you will never succeed- you have to make people feel special.”
Mayette- Mayette’s (3331 Danforth Ave)
“My father was a fisherman. When I was a schoolgirl, my mom and I would sell the fish that my dad would catch. It was a beautiful family, but we had hardships. In the Philippines, we didn’t have any government assistance like in Canada. I dreamed of being able to support my parents and my siblings- I was number 7 of 12.
I was a working student during college, and it was very hard. I got a job as a travel agent for Thomas Cook, the travel agency of the UN and the World Health Organization, and I did tax exemptions for UN people who travel everywhere. Eventually they sent me to Singapore. I was 25 at the time, and I hadn’t travelled outside my country before. That was when I met my first husband- he worked in oil exploration and he was working in Australia. We were sitting side by side on a plane when we met.
We moved to Newfoundland for my husband’s work, and I didn’t know anything about Canada. From Newfoundland we moved here, to Scarborough. The very first restaurant I had was at 911 Danforth Avenue, between Jones and Donlands, and that’s how it started. It’s been 32 years now. It’s still hard, and I still struggle because I cannot afford to pay people to work. I started doing more and more catering because it gives me more business, so now whenever I do catering I hire one or two people because it’s extra cash. I get to host popular Filipino actors and other celebrities whenever they come to Toronto. Back home, I could not even imagine to be near them, let alone sit next to them… but here, I get to meet them and cook for them.
This business also helps my family back home, and that is the main reason why I am still working. Four of my siblings have already passed away, so I try my best to support my other siblings and their kids with their school. They don’t ask for my help, but I really want to make things better for them- I want their children to have a good education, good jobs and a good life. Lots of my nieces and nephews are already becoming nurses and moving abroad to work. Next July, it will be 40 years since I left the Philippines and came to Canada. The Philippines is a beautiful country, but there are so many opportunities in Canada. You can become whoever you want here.”
MD Mujibur- Pitha Ghor and Sweets (3342 Danforth Ave)
“I came to Canada in 2002. I had a very nice, stable job but my wife- who is very creative- wanted so badly for me to start a sweet shop. When I lost my job in 2010, my wife kept pushing me to open a store and so finally we opened this shop in November, 2015. Even though I am the owner, this is actually my wife’s store- all credit goes to my wife. I am from Bangladesh and my shop contains traditional desserts belonging to my culture from back home. In Canada, people don’t really get to eat these foods a lot because they don’t know how to make them. It’s a tough job, it’s very technical, and it takes a long time to make them- but my wife is very good at making them and she’s done a great job.
When I started my business in the middle of November, I started to make a profit in 70 days and I was able to pay off all my expenses, utilities and insurances. This neighbourhood is very good and I like it a lot because most of my customers are Bangladeshi people that live here. The business has given me a lot of confidence and now I am looking to have a bigger shop in the same area. I provide my sweets to the 5 biggest Bangladeshi stores in Toronto, and right now, the only difficulty I face is finding a skilled worker who is able to make these sweets- it’s very hard to find one. Other than that, this is a great business and I encourage more Bangladeshi Canadians to open their own stores, as it is a very demanding business- especially during the winter time when people crave these sweets. I am more than happy to help anyone who wants to start their own business with some useful advice.”