My name is Maulik Kumar Patel, but around town, people know me as Mak. My journey to a new life in Canada began when my sister and her family moved here from India, our home country. Seeing her take this leap made me realize this was a path I wanted to follow – to find a home in a country brimming with opportunities. I made the big move to Canada through a provincial immigration nomination program and lived in a small town in Manitoba for the first few years
upon arrival before eventually making my way to Ontario.
One of my initial jobs was as a stockperson at a local Giant Tiger store. The work was difficult and physical, but I began to enjoy and appreciate the fast-paced retail store environment. While working at the store, I continued looking for work in my field of profession, software engineering, and a short time later I found work as a developer in the IT industry.
I was encouraged by a family member to become a business owner in a small community, and recognizing the chance to regain the fast-paced work life I had come to love, I bought the Freshmart, in Drayton, Wellington County. I am now a software engineer turned business owner and enjoy every minute of my time working out of the store.
“I don’t need to go to the city to entertain myself or my family. The County and the Township does a lot that my children and I enjoy.”
The past few years have been wonderful and my time in the community of Drayton has influenced many of my life decisions, including buying a home and settling close to my business. I am pleasantly surprised by the many facilities available to us. I can walk to pick up my daughter from school, which is down the street from my grocery store. When I am off work, I enjoy being with my family, getting my kids involved at camps hosted by the community, and visiting some of the yummy food trucks that stop in town.
