{"id":1932,"date":"2019-09-21T10:41:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T16:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=1932"},"modified":"2026-02-08T21:28:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T04:28:29","slug":"mosaic-stories-tony-elain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=1932","title":{"rendered":"Mosaic Stories: Tony Elain"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item google-plus\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932\" title=\"Google Plus\" class=\"wpfai-google-plus wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-google-plus fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item tumblr\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/share\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932&amp;name=&amp;description=\" title=\"Tumblr\" class=\"wpfai-tumblr wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-tumblr fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F1932%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item bullseye\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.specificfeeds.com\/follow\" title=\"Specific Feeds\" class=\"wpfai-bullseye wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-bullseye fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>\n<p><strong>Mosaic Stories: Tony Elain by Bill Belsey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/Y9t749olWSzSMnDLdFw1-7HcCinLqATnFb4pck7YN5ZPdkmsnE01b3roaGNPtoH3U1NarW1KDpjPRjIZ5vBkygiiFerSRLXNsPAu3iA_bTbk-TM57luDoDYilI4odArBuy-Zbh5z\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Perceptions change with perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first glance, the intriguing artwork in the foyer of the Cochrane Ranchehouse entitled \u201cTrust\u201d, looks like a horse, lovingly embraced. Upon closer inspection, you can see this marvellous mosaic is actually made up of 216 individual paintings that were created by a team of local artists, coordinated by artist Lewis Lavoie of St. Albert, Alberta, it was unveiled on Canada Day, 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many Canadians would be surprised to learn that the first person to use the term &#8220;mosaic&#8221; to describe the national character of Canada was, in fact, an American. In 1922, Victoria Hayward referred to our country this way in the published work, Romantic Canada, a piece of travel writing detailing her journey across our fair land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A community is also a mosaic. Viewed from a distance we develop general impressions. Moving closer we can begin to better appreciate those who make up the mosaic that is Cochrane, Alberta. My new column, \u201cMosaic\u201d strives to do just that; help us know our community better by digging a little deeper. In this digital age of Social Media where we might not truly know those we are interacting with, we might be tempted to communicate things online that we might never say or do in person. In an increasingly technological time, we need to actively re-connect in more humane ways. I hope that my Mosaic column might help us to move beyond the big picture and look more closely so that we might better understand the individuals who are part of Cochrane\u2019s community canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damascus, Syria is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and it was in this culturally rich and historic community that Tony Elain was born on April 3, 1943. Tony was a middle child, with four brothers and one sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a telling anecdote from his childhood, Tony recalls that every Sunday he and his friends would ride their old bikes for four or five hours so that they could travel to the mountains where they would find trees, ripe with dates and other fresh fruit. They would pick and devour these organic treasures, savouring the succulent juices on sizzling Syrian summer days. Tony fondly remembers having picnics in the mountains, drinking fresh water directly from the mountain springs. \u201cMost people couldn\u2019t afford a car, so we used bikes to get around,\u201d he reflected. For Tony, the sheer freedom and independence of these cycling sojourns were just as important as the delicious reward at the end of their tour.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After saving some money, Tony\u2019s dad eventually bought an old 1936 car made by the British Standard Car Company. Tony recalled, \u201cIn those days it was very hard to get a new vehicle.\u201d He remembered driving this old car into the mountains without a driver\u2019s license but feared for his life when the brakes failed as he was driving back down on their return home. His mother was constantly hitting her head on the roof of the car that had little, or no suspension, as they drove on those bumpy, mountainous roads.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/WF2fT4XDUr4w758M6eMX_c10nLnA1p-KnHuLUK59geoXPe0VvblCi8m1P6zjiHP-sZ1Hb9otqyZEyJtAjTG9mNxrDDmC0ko8oLyr0GdY2Ahoe9dPRiQjOs6PjZQqbjUHuBW6IiTs\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tony joined his father and apprenticed in the family shoe repair business from the age of ten to fifteen years. His father was a well-respected master of his trade. In a bold move that would display his drive and foreshadow his rapidly-developing business acumen, Tony left his father&#8217;s business and opened his own shop just two blocks from his dad\u2019s. Tony charged less money than his dad and his business flourished, which made Tony\u2019s mother proud of her son\u2019s work ethic and success, but his father was unhappy about the unwelcome competition and eventually, he convinced Tony to reunite with him as one family-run business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When young men in Syria turn eighteen, they are required to serve in the military. Tony did his duty for two years. Upon completing his service, his family moved to Lebanon, where they lived in Beirut for five years. \u201cLebanon was a nice country where there was more freedom,\u201d recalls Tony. He stayed with his family in Lebanon for five years. Tragically, during this time, Tony\u2019s mother became ill and died. At that time, Tony\u2019s sister had emigrated to Canada with her husband, and they settled in Calgary. Tony told his father that he also wanted to go to Canada because he felt that he would have a better future there. With Tony\u2019s sister as his sponsor, he came to Canada in 1971.&nbsp; The emigration process had taken him two years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His father and brother encouraged him to try it and if it didn\u2019t work out, he could come back to Lebanon. Tony was having none of that, he was determined to succeed in Canada. The thought that going back would have meant admitting defeat, he wasn\u2019t about to let that happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He arrived in Calgary, via Montreal in March of \u201871. Only a day before he had been swimming in the sea basking in the warmth of Lebanon, now he was then confronted by a frigid Canadian winter. Although he had seen snow before in the Mountains of Syria, he couldn\u2019t believe seeing snowbanks as high as his plane seat when he landed in Montreal!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Tony\u2019s brother-in-law picked him up at the Calgary airport, Tony watched in horror as the car slid wildly back-and-forth on the slick roads. \u201cI don\u2019t think that I\u2019ll be able to drive here,\u201d Tony thought at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After moving in with his sister in Canada, Tony took whatever jobs he could find. He worked at a roofing job in the middle of winter for just 90 cents an hour. \u201cI had never been so cold in my life, there were times that I was so cold that I cried. I didn\u2019t have proper winter clothes, no winter jacket or warm footwear. I would slide on my feet just trying to walk down the street,\u201d he recalled with a shiver.&nbsp; \u201cThere were times when I thought, \u2018What am I doing here? But I stuck it out\u2019\u201d. Tony would not admit defeat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a while, Tony got a better-paying job, working for $3.00 an hour at a cabinet-making company. With his hard-earned savings, Tony opened \u201cTony\u2019s Shoe Repair\u201d shop in Market Mall. He regularly worked fourteen-hour days. During this time, he was able to save enough for a down payment on a small home in the Ogden neighbourhood of Calgary that cost just over $18,000. After three years in Calgary, Tony\u2019s father came for a visit. Tony was proud to show his father the new life he was crafting in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1974, Tony returned to Lebanon to marry Ousyma, a girl he had known from his days growing up in Damascus. It was an arranged marriage between her parents and his father. On August 18th, 2019, Tony and Ousyma celebrated forty-five years of marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about some of the differences between Canada and Syria beyond the obvious contrasts in climate, Tony mentioned being paid. \u201cWhen you do work for people in Syria, customers often won\u2019t pay you until well after your work is done for them. Some don\u2019t ever pay you. It can be hard because you don\u2019t want to argue with your neighbours, friends and even family. Here, in Canada, people pay you right away. Sometimes, people appreciate my work so much, they give me a tip\u201d, he said with pride.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tony also marvels at the food selection in Canada. \u201cHere in Canada, we have so much choice, it\u2019s great! Sometimes when we are in Penticton, we pick up lots of fresh fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHousing is also different here. In Canada, houses are so nice. We have so much space in Canada. In Syria, many people live in apartments, most cannot afford to have a house. When Syrians come to Canada, they think that we live so well.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Canada has excellent education and health care. We have a healthy democracy. We have many rights and freedoms. Canadians should NEVER take these things for granted. Canadians understand that if we all pay a little more in taxes, then more people are helped. More people have a chance to succeed. In some other countries, everyone is out for themselves first. Of course, we should all work hard. I have worked very hard in my life for my family, but I was raised to also help others. Canada is a country where we try to help one another, this is why I love Canada, it&#8217;s not just about me, it&#8217;s also about us.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked what values he has tried to instil in his children, Tony responded, \u201cWork hard. Don\u2019t give up easily when you have a challenge in business, or in life. Do quality, honest work. Don\u2019t cut corners. Give people the best you can, even if you have to lose money sometimes. You are your reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After many years of extremely hard work and shrewd investing, Tony now owns the buildings on Cochrane\u2019s main street that includes \u201cTony\u2019s Shoe Repair\u201d, \u201cDonair on the Run\u201d, \u201cIncredible Florist\u201d, \u201cTony\u2019s Western Wear\u201d and \u201cCochrane Floors and More.\u201d Tony\u2019s son, Camille runs \u201cDonair on the Run\u201d that often receives rave reviews from customers who come from far and wide to enjoy the delicious donair, shawarma, falafels, baklava and more. Tony\u2019s son Mike manages \u201cTony\u2019s Western Wear\u201d, whose selection of boots and clothing is impressive and their customer service is legendary. Clearly, the apple doesn&#8217;t fall far from the tree in the Elain family when it comes to running successful businesses. Just like Tony learned from his father, Tony\u2019s sons are learning from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to raising his own family. Tony Elain has sponsored 120 others from now war-torn Syria, who have made Canada their new home and, like Tony, they are working hard to make many valuable contributions to Canadian society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/KAnQxq09ahFJsi8ieJl0gQzhWM-6I6h-FJxDJno_urr_gFYzR9jACZljTZCT08ny36CWUBdbQdyajGcoAfVr9SpyYUwSFvZ_f9ugqbUyjRSafXv48bOuMQEPu021FDYs2Nv_oNU4\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Left to right: Mike, Tony and Camille Elain.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked what his proudest achievement is, Tony replied without hesitation, \u201cMy family!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am VERY happy that I chose to live in Canada. Canada has been so good to my family and me. It is the greatest country in the world!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next time you\u2019re walking downtown, drop in and say hi to Tony and his sons. Their family is a very special part of our Cochrane mosaic, something I\u2019ve since learned after I took the time to get a little closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*If you know of others who have come to Cochrane from abroad and whose story should be celebrated in my \u201c<strong><em>Mosaic<\/em><\/strong>\u201d column, please get in touch, <strong>ourmosaicstories@gmail.com<\/strong>.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mosaic Stories: Tony Elain by Bill Belsey Perceptions change with perspective. At first glance, the intriguing artwork in the foyer of the Cochrane Ranchehouse entitled \u201cTrust\u201d, looks like a horse,&#8230; <span class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=1932\">Read More<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,30,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cochrane","category-mosaic-column","category-special-people"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1933,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions\/1933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}