My family ran a dollar store. It's not a glorious industry. There's a lot of product to move, and you're only making 20 or 30 cents per product. So you really have to hustle and do it on tight margins and lean overhead. But it gives reasonable profit margins and is fairly resilient. Dollar stores do well when the economy is doing well, but they also do well when the economy's struggling because it drives consumers to more value-orientated locations.
I took woodworking in Grade 8 and 9, it was actually before coming to St. George's. I quite enjoyed it. I didn't do any woodworking for 20 years, but in the last year or two, I've gotten more and more into woodworking. I find furniture that people don't want anymore—mostly 1960s and 1970s hardwood furniture. Then, I repurpose the wood so I've got a planter and a table saw, and I usually repurpose it down to flat stock. I make it into new things—I've made little tables for family members and bedside tables and shoe racks. It’s something that I really enjoy.
I grew up with a really influential person in my life. He was a Swiss Canadian and his name was Hugo. He was like a grandfather figure to me who taught me some of the basics of woodworking. I think what I really took forward from him in my life was the joy of being able to do something that's fun to do but also to share it with others. Hugo would make these beautiful hanging baskets and toys, but he wouldn't just make one—he would make 20, 30, and then he’d always be sharing his latest creation. I haven't made 20 tables, but the idea that I can meticulously spend time and care and craft something and then be able to give it to somebody is more enjoyable to me than crafting something that sits in my home and nobody ever sees.
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