The Rural Voice, 2019-07, Page 39he also hosted the same friends when
they came back to Pakistan to visit.
“Our culture is friendship, hospitality
and reciprocity,” he says, as he
brings several cups of tea for the
interview. The restaurant is bustling
with their friends and relatives
coming and going.
They prefer the green, open
spaces of rural Ontario to the cities in
Pakistan. Imagine 213 million people
in a country less than the size of
Ontario with average monthly
temperatures of 30 degrees from May
to August. “For me it was too hot and
too dangerous to stay in Pakistan,”
says Aamir. He had been looking for
opportunities to purchase property
and move to Canada. All over the
world, he says, people say great
things about Canada. “And it is great,
but it isn’t always easy,” he says.
“The first week we opened, our
front window was smashed in,” says
Salim. Security cameras from the gas
station captured footage of someone
wearing a balaclava and hurling
rocks from their pockets into the
front window. “It was expensive
enough to start this place and then we
had another $1,000 expense in the
first week,” says Salim. “But I don’t
want to assume that it was a racial
thing, it could have been any reason.”
“And 99 percent of people that we
meet here are wonderful,” adds
Aamir. “So, I don’t want to think
about the other people.”
“There aren’t many people that
look like us here,” says Sanan,
Aamir’s 19-year old son. Sanan just
graduated from Norwell high school
and will be studying Business
Management at Humber College in
the fall. Before he moved to Canada,
he played cricket. Now he plays
basketball.
“One time, another brown person
saw me walking and came in the
restaurant just to find out where we
were from,” laughs Sanan. “I guess it
isn’t that common.” And being a
minority in small town Ontario, they
can easily relate to each other.
“I guess we all came from
somewhere though, the difference is
how recently and how many ties we
still have to our home country” says
Salim. He laughs about the
stereotypes now. “Growing up in
Ontario, I think we were stereotyped,
but we didn’t really speak English
yet, so we didn’t care,” he smiles.
Now Salim speaks English
without the hint of an accent.
He also speaks Urdu and
Pushto and can understand Punjabi.
Like the rest of us that went to school
here, he speaks ‘un petit peu’ of
French and likes to complain about
Brian Mulroney.
A Dutch couple visiting Ontario
stops in for a pizza dinner; Aamir
wakes up his friend from the
Netherlands on Facetime to chat in
Dutch with the couple. In this day
and age, we are so connected around
the world.
As I leave with a delicious
chicken shawarma wrap, I reflect that
this part of Wellington County has
been shaped by immigrants with a
strong work ethic and that Salim and
Aamir are no different. Like
shawarma poutine, we are a fusion of
different cultures. To me, that is what
makes me proud to be Canadian. ◊
July 2019 35
1136 Bruce Road 86, LUCKNOW
www.cliffsplumbing.com
How it Works
A geothermal system consists of a heat pump, a ground loop,
and a flow centre to connect the indoor and outdoor
components. The geothermal system uses the constant
temperature of the ground to heat and cool your home. In the
winter, your WaterFurnace geothermal system extracts the heat
and in the summer, it rejects it.
Why Choose WaterFurnace?
A WaterFurnace geothermal system operates more efficiently
than ordinary heating and air conditioning systems because it
can deliver up to an astounding five units of energy for every
one unit of electrical energy used.
Why Choose Cliff’s?
Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating has been a trusted name in Huron and
Bruce Counties since 1979 and has been installing WaterFurnace
geothermal systems for over 30 years. We are members of HRAI
and the Grand Valley Construction Association, accredited with
the Canadian Geothermal Coalition and our technicians are
licensed through the Ontario College of Trades and factory
trained.
Other Services Include:
Air Conditioning, In-floor Radiant Heating
High Efficiency Furnaces, Gas Fireplaces,
Plumbing, Pumps and Water Treatment
Phone: 519-528-3913 • Toll Free: 800-449-2543 • Fax: 519-528-3125
cliff@cliffsplumbing.com