I really had no excuse.
As I was putting together plans for the first annual The Halifax Experience event and was speaking with those people who helped me accomplish that goal, it became apparent we needed a platform that would allow people like me to tell their own stories of finding success here in Halifax and — by sharing — encourage others to stay in Halifax and take advantage of all the opportunities this great city has to offer. Also, we needed something that would exist during the rest of the year to help bridge the gap between the annual events. Hence the birth of the magazine My Halifax Experience, which you now hold in your hands. I’m proud of what we accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
This first issue really came together in less than six months, which is remarkable for the launch of a new magazine; especially one that attempts to tell the stories of new Canadians who are discovering what their Halifax experience is all about. As you read through this issue, I believe you will discover the same high level of dedication to communicating the immigrant experience showcased by our event this past November.
Just as I had no excuse preventing me from working on this magazine, you’ll find the people in this issue’s stories didn’t use their circumstances as an excuse either. In our cover story, you can meet Khalada and Ruhul Amin. Ruhul came to Halifax from Bangladesh with just $5 in his pocket. That meager beginning hasn’t stopped him and Khalada from building Unique Asian Catering, a home-grown business that continues to grow every year as orders for their samosas and other Asian dishes continue to roll in.
You can also meet Chen Qing, a Chinese student who came to Halifax to study business and ended up starting five of them himself. He didn’t let the excuse of trying to juggle a full course load and a part-time job stop him. In fact, he found his own niche and earned the nickname The Mattress Man as he finished his studies and opened HomeTown Furniture and Mattress Ltd.
You also get a peek behind the scenes at the Halifax Port Authority, where President and CEO Karen Oldfield is trying to reflect the international nature of worldwide shipping in a literal sense by making diversity in the Authority’s workforce a priority. Those efforts aren’t going unrecognized, both in terms of internal benefits and by outside agencies.
There are plenty of other stories to discover in this issue, but what they all share in common is the willingness to find a new way to succeed regardless of whatever challenges may be in the way. In short, they weren’t willing to except any excuses.
So have a read through these pages and then ask yourself what’s my excuse?
