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After joining the British army at the age of 16 to fight in the Second World War my father found himself back in Glasgow, Scotland with a Grade 10 education and little opportunity for employment. He and his best army friend spent their limited savings getting on a boat headed for Canada. In 1951, they landed and disembarked at PIER 41 in Halifax, Nova Scotia with only a couple of dollars in their pockets. Like many immigrants he worked all day and attended school in the evening searching for a better way of life. Upon completing high school, and then university, he took a hospital administration job that had our family moving every 2 years including stops in: Regina, Timmins, Porcupine, Picton, Belleville, Montreal and Aurora. My childhood was a journey through eastern Canada and a collection of indispensable experiences in each city that we lived. My Father’s dream of a high-level education and a good job to support his family was realized in Canada.

In the first 3 weeks of my new role, I travelled to all of our Triovest offices across the country: Vancouver, Burnaby, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Montreal and several offices in the Toronto area. I witnessed great diversity in our people and in our landscapes. Along this journey I was fortunate to meet hundreds of Triovest people and they welcomed me with open arms and eager ears to share my story to. As I told my personal story in my Town Halls and had numerous conversations with people, I experienced acceptance with great warmth, void of any judgement. The experience brought me closer to the events experienced in my childhood and by my parents. It has reinforced the gratitude I feel towards our people and this amazing country of ours. What touched me the most was no matter what city I was in, or group I was talking to, I felt a common sentiment of hope, appreciation and ambition. Much like our forefathers, our people work very hard to realize their dreams.

I came away from this whirlwind tour feeling fortunate to be part of the Triovest community of diverse Canadians. This experience has inspired me to write this story.

Now more than ever I am proud to be Canadian.

Alan M – Triovest

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