Like Father Like Son
A18 |
nsnews.com north shore news
A family affair: Fathers and sons come together to build community businesses.
SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017
Like Father Like Son
Small and medium sized businesses are the backbone and core of every community in Canada and that is certainly true of the North Shore. These businesses are often family run and operated. Today in the spirit of celebrating Father’s Day, we take time to highlight some of the businesses who are successfully run as a father and son team right here on the North Shore. These family-run businesses employ members from our community, offer a wide range of goods and services and pay significant taxes that help drive our local economy. Many sponsor events and not-forprofit-organizations that we cherish. Their generosity and support to our community is significant and deep. Simply put, they add tremendous value to the quality of life that we all enjoy here in our community. As a father of three boys myself, I know the importance of being a leader and offering support as they grow into productive business members of our community. I applaud the businesses who are able to offer a family-run business environment as I am sure it can be both challenging and rewarding. In the following pages, we celebrate the father and son teams that do business successfully here on the North Shore. We hope you take time to not only read all about them, but also support them. They are working hard to compete in today’s digitally disrupted marketplace. They need our support so that they can continue to support our communities and the quality of life we all enjoy.
FATHER AND SON PETER & ADAM BLACK
Loblaws City Market Park Royal: Peter & Adam Black In West Vancouver, the last name Black is synonymous with quality meats and butchery. Peter’s dad immigrated from Scotland in 1948 and set up a family butcher shop in Kerrisdale. His son, Peter, started working at the store when he was six years old. Growing up, he worked alongside his dad, a master butcher, learning the family business until his dad retired. That’s when Peter started his own butcher business in Ambleside. It wasn’t long before his own son, Adam was working behind the meat counter with his dad. “He was very, very young when he started working there,” Peter recalls. Eventually Peter Black and Sons moved to Park Royal and the family business operated for three decades before it closed in 2013. His son Adam continued on in the butcher business and recently began managing the meat department at the new Loblaws City Market at Park Royal. Not long after, Adam asked his dad if he would come to work at the market-style grocery store and make their sausages. Seeing father and son back together behind the meat counter is a welcome sight for North Shore shoppers. “Working with Adam and the staff at the store gives me much satisfaction as I see the young butchers learning their trade not only from me but from Adam,” says Peter. When reflecting about his own dad, Peter says he gave him some good advice through the years but this always stuck with him: “Be honest and keep my sense of humour.” The Black family also shares a huge sense of community spirit and pride.
Peter Kvarnstrom Publisher, North Shore News
A SPECIAL FEATURE OF
“One of my many community involvement’s was starting the Ambleside Tiddlycove Lions Club 42 years ago, and I am a life member of Lions Clubs International,” says Peter, who is also board director on the BC Lions Society For Children with Disabilities and member of the District of West Vancouver’s Awards Committee. When Peter thinks about Father’s Day he has many special memories shared with his family. “My favourite Father’s Day memory was my two sons and daughter in laws, and five grandchildren, and my lovely wife of 50 years Helen, gathering together for an amazing Father’s Day at Ambleside, sharing jokes and memories of our 69 years in the butchery business,” says Peter.
What’s the best part about working together? PETER: “Working with Adam again is
wonderful, and I also love the atmosphere and staff here at City Market. The store is an unbelievable shopping experience and I’m proud to be a part of such a great team.”
845 PARK ROYAL NORTH WEST VANCOUVER 604-922-1902 LOBLAWS.CA