Alhamdulillah Alberta!

I moved to Alberta seven years ago to take the position as Science, Innovation and Energy Officer at the British-Consulate General Calgary. I outlined a lot of that journey through my initial blog post that turned into the Salaam B’y film and social enterprise. 

Since that time, Alberta has provided me with opportunities to fulfill my dream of building a career based on my values. Those values were built by my parents through my life navigating the world. 

In particular, my father, a man who was a refugee from a young age, growing up in poverty and only through his ambitious drive for education given the opportunity to travel around the world to realize his own success. He learned Japanese in order to take a scholarship to study a Bachelors and Masters in Engineering in Tokyo and then moved to Montreal to pursue a PhD. He maneuvered his way through Canada as an educated immigrant, trying to find ways to succeed for his family. He left his PhD when he found it would actually diminish his job prospects. He found ways to somehow get his P.Eng. when he couldn’t get hired as an engineer but in a different role and finding a P.Eng. supervisor who was willing to mentor him. 

There were times when he, with a Masters of Engineering, had to deliver newspapers while having kids at home to feed. He moved our family to “middle-of-nowhere” Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador to work at the Come by Chance refinery where our family found a home as Newfoundlanders. 

I cannot count the number of things my parents have done to give me the life I am privileged to have. And for all of this, my father has never asked for anything from me in his life. He has a joyous nature of how he lives, being that talkative dad chatting it up with everyone walking around Clarenville, as we were kids getting annoyed just wanting to go on with our day. He would never buy anything for himself, nor ask for anything from his kids. At the same time, for anything related to me and my siblings' education, he would give up everything, even in the times when we didn’t have much and even when we had failures, he would never treat us as less than. His approach was always how we deal with failure with relentless optimism.  

So now, after over a dozen years being far away from my parents, I am going back home. My parents would never have wanted me to come back home unless it was best for my life. Coincidentally, while I was never looking for a position as I am amazingly happy in my current role leading Startup Edmonton, I was recruited recently for an opportunity of a lifetime to build something based on my values that happens to be based in Toronto (more exciting details to come). 

It took a lot of thinking, but as I see my parents aging, even though still quite spry, I am compelled to move back to be closer to home. The one wish of my parents was to always have their kids nearby, even though they have never asked it of us. So, as they would never ask this of me, I am going home. Alhamdulillah (thank God) for everything Alberta has given me. 

My relationship with Alberta will still be intact as I take on my new role and look forward to continuing my relationships with the many amazing friends, colleagues and mentors I had the privilege of meeting here.  

Much love,  

Aatif 

PS you can read my thank you letter to the Startup Edmonton community here.