One woman drops everything to pursue her dream in Canada

Roya Ensandoost is living her Canadian dream. Roya and her family are Persian originally from Iran but they lived in Dubai before coming to Canada in 2012. It was a challenging transition for Roya who didn’t speak English and struggled with how different the country seemed.

She and her husband Reza began a new life in Prince Edward Island, with Reza opening a bakery. A few years later they moved to Hamilton to be closer to their daughter attending McMaster University, and Roya began to pursue her own dream of opening her own business.

She is an experienced Hairstylist and has worked hard to learn English preparing her to launch Number One Hair Salon. Roya has hired two newcomers to Canada to work with her in the salon, a deliberate decision fuelled by her first-hand experience with the challenges of acclimatizing to her new country.

Roya and her employee Rosie from Columbia share a determination that has allowed them to build a life in Canada. Roya even named the store Number One Hair Salon because she believed it was universal a name that everyone can connect with a store that embodies the spirit of Canada.