I first tried to get into shoe repair in 1977 when I was 16. This was back in the day when you had to go to manpower, the government job search agency, to look at the job postings on the board. I noticed a job doing shoe repair, which was something I was interested in as a young kid. There were 3 shops within a 15 minute walk of the house I grew up in. I found them all very interesting and cool. You had to go to the side and ask someone where the job was to be able to apply for it. The lady told me, “I think you think you can do this job, but I don’t think you really want it. I’m not going to tell you where it is”. So I said a few colorful words to her that I probably shouldn't have said and stormed out of the building.

From a young age, I always wanted to work for myself partly because I thought nobody would be crazy enough to hire me. Even in adult upgrading at the Saskatchewan community college, the guidance counsellor asked me what I thought I would do with myself in the future. I told him that I wasn't sure what I would be doing, but I told him I would be working for myself. He kind of had the “fat chance” attitude back to me. Most of my schooling was similar to that attitude. Later on, after I opened my first shop called Andy’s Shoe Repair, the guidance counselor asked if I wanted to come speak to the class as one of their success stories. I told him I didn’t feel like they encouraged me to pursue my dream of working for myself and declined.

In 1983 at around age 22 while I was hot tar roofing, I decided that yes I have to find a job in shoe repair. I went down to the public library and they actually had a book on opening and starting a shoe repair shop. I thought I could get some words from it so that I could sound like I had half a clue knowing what I was talking about. At the same time, I started making my first pair of muklucks. So I put on my resume that it was my hobby making muklucks. I just neglected to say that it was my new hobby. Armed with my freshly forged resume and my desire to do shoe repair, I started going around to the shops around town looking for a job.

I went into the old guy’s shop on Lorne and Taylor. I think at the time he was only open because he liked to talk to people and not doing a whole lot of work. During my conversation with him, I noticed that he had a coupon taped to his till advertising a special at The Awl Shoppe and I asked him why he had his competitor's coupon on his till. He told me it was because his regular price is lower than their sale price. He told me that If I wanted a job I should go there. That was my next stop.

I dropped a resume off at the Awl Shoppe. It turned out they were actually hiring. It didn’t take them long to call me for an interview. I was in the middle of having some party favors when they asked when I could get there for an interview. I lived pretty close and said I could be there in less than 10 minutes. I think I was there in 5 minutes. The three owners were sitting across from me all asking questions. I told them about my hobby of making muklucks just in case they hadn’t read the resume. I still hadn’t completed my first pair at this point. I told them about how I thought I was good with my hands and boldly stated that I would like to wind up their competition some day. I left the interview unsure if they would call or not, but thinking they all looked very familiar. I later found out that this was because they drank in the Ritz on Thursday nights and I was in there occasionally. They had their usual spot.

Needless to say, they called me back and gave me a job. After I got hired on there I used some of their machines to finish making my first pair of muklucks lol. Side note: it was just in the last few years that I made something similar to muklucks since my hobby started in 1983. Maybe someday I’ll make another. Since 1983 I have had a few other jobs other than shoe repair, but it has mostly been shoe repair and a little bit of time at Alberta Boots making cowboy boots on an assembly line.

Which brings us to today and why I am here. I once dated a lady that said all her exes either wind up rich or dead. I have achieved neither at this point in time. It has been a struggle starting and having a shop that relies on repairs as their primary source of revenue without sales of some type of product to enhance the bottom line. In the early years of starting the shop, it was hard to keep up with the bills. Now business is steady and I have been catching up on bills. I turn 65 in May and my lease is up at the end of July. I do not wish to stop repairing shoes. I also don’t feel like I’m ready to sign another 5 year lease at this age not knowing what the future brings. The plan is to move the shop into my house and to continue repairing shoes as long as I physically can. We are down to 2 shoe repair shops in town, myself included. When I started there were 16 or 17 shoe repairs in town. I am the only shop that I know of that will do a complete resole on a cowboy boot, a dress shoe or a work boot within 250km or more. I believe my service is needed in Saskatoon.

If you could find it in your heart to help the dream continue it would be much appreciated. My goal is to raise $6000 dollars. It breaks down something like this:

Moving expenses

Trailer rental with drop down door for easy loading $250

Zoom boom lift to get the equipment in to the house $400

Hire a couple of people to help with the lifting and hauling

2 people for 2 days $ 700

Renovations to the house

New workstations and benches $1350

Minor electrical work to be done $800

Keeping up with the bill and the tax man at bay while in the process $2400

These are estimates and I know I could easily use double my ask for further renovations and machine maintenance.

Thank you for any contribution, well wishes or any type of support to help this move happen.