Owner of Yorkville tailor shop continuing long family legacy
Leaning over a sewing machine inside his tiny Yorkville shop, Mike Mouradian is continuing his family's legacy.
"When you've lost everything else, you will become very strong," he says.
The 27 year old is originally from Syria and he comes from a family of suit makers.
"My dad he teach me," he said. "Then I start to make jackets when I was 15 years old from scratch."
For nearly 70 years his family has owned a store in Aleppo fashion district. His family history in the suit business began after his great grandfather fled the Armenia genocide.
Coming to Syria he began making suits in 1922. From there, the business was passed on to Mike's grandfather, and then his father. Mike grew up in the store. They had manufacturing, and exported suits all over the world - right up until war broke out in 2012.
"The area we used to live, the ISIS take that area," Mouradian said.
Their manufacturing facility was damaged by bombing, with ISIS forcing them out.
"(ISIS) take everything else. They stole everything else," he says.
Once again his family was forced to flee, coming to Canada in 2016. Mouradian starting looking for a place to start again. Back in Syria, the family store had been located on one of the most famous streets. Mouradian wanted to find the right place in Toronto. One Sunday afternoon, he found Yorkville and was immediately taken.
"It was one of my dreams. When I first time I came to Yorkville. I said to myself, one day I'm going to open a shop here," he said.
Seeing high end stores like Chanel and Versace motivated him. In 2018, Mouardian bought a small shop on Yorkville Boulevard and opened 'Last Minute Alteration, Tailoring and Dry Cleaning.' His dream had come true.
The shop is a tiny space. About 30 feet long and 10 feet wide. Clothing hangs on two racks with a sewing machine located on either side. There are pictures of each generation of the Mouradian family looking over him. Mouradian will often work with a pair of scissors first used by his great grandfathers almost a hundred years ago.
As he holds the scissors, Mouradian says, "this is like an amazing memory from him to me."
Mouradian will at times work 16 or 17 hour days. He has become a Canadian citizen and says that this place feels like home. Now he is focused on growing his business to one day create his own custom suit store.
He says that it is all part of the work ethic he was taught.
"(Set) a goal, and then work on it, work very hard and then you will have everything else you are asking for."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Documents reveal Canada praised Haitian sanctioned over alleged gangland connections
A Canadian diplomat and an RCMP officer heaped praise and gratitude on a sanctioned Haitian businessman that Global Affairs accuses of gangland connections, after he allowed a helicopter airlift of Canadian citizens and police at his luxury golf course last month, emails provided by his lawyers suggest.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.