Refugees and newcomers open businesses despite challenges

Refugees and newcomers have opened several businesses in downtown Windsor despite big challenges.

Mahmood Amer Haboub runs a sweet shop on Wyandotte Street East with his wife and family. He was a technical engineer in his native Syria but couldn’t find work in his field in Canada.

Like most refugees, Haboub struggles with English, but he refused to let that stand in the way of his dreams.

“I opened in Downtown because all people speak Arabic there,” he said. 

Immigrants have difficulty getting money from banks and many are too proud to accept handouts from the government.

“I don’t want money from anyone or the government,” said Haboub, who arrived in Canada in January of 2017. 

Mahmood Dalboohi owns the Al-Sultan restaurant on Glengarry Avenue. He was forced to shut down for six months because he couldn’t secure funding for renovations. He had difficulty getting a loan from the bank because of a language barrier and lack of credit history in Canada.

“I need help. My English is not good enough and it is so hard for me to get a loan from the bank,” he said.

Dalboohi persevered through the tough times and his restaurant is open again, serving Middle Eastern cuisine in the heart of Wyandotte’s bustling commercial district.

He and Haboub remain optimistic despite the challenges and obstacles, confident in their dreams and the opportunities in their adopted homeland.