Mr. Speaker, today, I want to pay tribute to a man who works in a dying trade: shoe repair.
Sarkis Berejikian owns the Cordonnerie Jean‑Pierre II in old Sainte‑Rose, Laval. He is a typical 1970s shoemaker. Mr. Berejikian was born in Syria in 1946. He later moved with his parents to Lebanon, his adopted country, where he trained as a shoemaker. He arrived in Canada in February 1988 and opened his shoe repair shop in 1991.
Mr. Berejikian is a kind and professional shoemaker who does great work for a reasonable price. At age 76, he is still just as passionate about his job. As we often say, we need to encourage our local business owners.