Being born and raised in Airdrie I’ve seen our city grow and change in more ways than I can count. From the first traffic light to traffic circles, the rat hole to highway interchanges, the SAAN store to Wal-Mart, Airdrie is always on the move, getting bigger and better.
Looking back at my youth, it’s amazing to see how Airdrie businesses have changed and evolved. I remember being dropped off at Towerlane Mall with my friends, enjoying one of the best taco salads I’ve ever had from the food court and wandering the Super Drug Mart and Radio Shack for hours. We’d then walk over to Brian’s Card Shop to do a bit more window shopping before catching a movie at the Roxy. Those memories are forever engraved in my brain as some of the “good old times.” The downtown was a great place to meet up and gather. It was central, and easy to walk to the various places that kept us entertained.
Now, the choices we have in Airdrie are not just good, but great! You can enjoy nationally renowned cuisine, unique mom-and-pop boutiques, large box stores, a place for every health need out there and tons of fun entertainment options. It’s clear that Airdrie entrepreneurs are really trying to diversify to meet the wants and needs of our residents. As an economic development officer, I see entrepreneurs come in with great ideas weekly and it’s always such a thrill for me to watch them achieve their dream and open the doors to their business.
Growing up I was naive about what it actually takes to open a business. I always thought to myself, “Why don’t we have that here?” Businesses just popped up and we were excited to try whatever the new option was. Now, having learned so much more about business, I realize it takes a certain type of person to choose that path and become an entrepreneur. It’s certainly not for everyone.
Being an entrepreneur takes more guts and courage than I think people realize. Taking that leap, putting your heart and soul into a business idea with only a small chance that it will succeed, is not a gene that everyone has. The commitment to tireless hours of work, sweat, stress, pain and passion is something that cannot be taught. An entrepreneur has to have a desire to work harder than they’ve ever worked before, all before that ‘open’ sign is even on the front door. To Airdrie entrepreneurs, each and every one of you, thank you for taking the leap. You make Airdrie a great place to live, work and play!
Being a proud Airdrie girl, I try to stay local whenever I can to play my part to keep businesses coming to Airdrie! I can’t wait to see where we go from here. The future of Airdrie is exciting and I feel privileged to be a small part of it. Also, to the old Towerlane food court taco salad maker: if you’re out there, please feel free to open up again. I will be your most frequent customer!
