About a Squamish local

Mohammadali Shahri, who goes by Ali, arrived in Squamish from Mashhad, Iran, just after the pandemic was declared. 

Shahri came with his wife so that their daughter could pursue a business education in Canada. 

Shahri first came to check out Squamish as a visitor in 2018, looking for a location for his spare parts business. 

"Squamish has nature; I like it very much," he said, of his reasons for choosing the district. "Not too much traffic and not too many other shops that sell spare parts."

After he moved in late 2019, he quickly set about getting his business going. He opened SQ Auto Fair beside the Petro-Canada & Car Wash on Government Road in Brackendale in April of 2020. 

The family left behind a life and an auto parts business he had run for 36 years.

At first, business in town was slow but has gradually picked up, he said. 

In addition to himself working at the shop, he has a salesman and a mechanic and technician, Hossein Mohammadi, who is also originally from Iran. 

Like all who leave their homeland, Shahri misses the relatives and friends he left behind. Recently, though, he was able to move his mother over from Iran. 

"This for me was very, very good," he said. 

While there are some cultural differences, mostly business is the same here as in Iran, both Shahri and Mohammadi said. 

One difference is that in his shop in Iran, Shahri worked mostly on Japanese vehicles, while in Squamish, American and European vehicles are more common.

Customers are customers, though, Shahri said, noting that Squamish folks seem to really value their time. He said his shop can often take folks without an appointment, something locals seem to like. 

Both men said the people in Squamish are friendlier than in big cities. 

And while they can't get all the ingredients in town for dishes from home, the recent opening of the Cyrus Cafe, which specializes in Persian meals, has added dining options, Shahri said. 

The family picking up and leaving a lifelong home for a new one so their daughter can go to school is a reflection of the culture of Iranians, Mohammadi said. 

"There's unfortunately not much of a future for the younger generation in Iran," he said. "It is very important for the people of Iran to take care of their family — they are very family-oriented.... It is a family value, so they care about the future of their kids. One of the most important reasons to move to a different country is to have a better future for their child." 

Having weathered moving here and starting a business during COVID-19, Shahri said, looking ahead, he is very positive about his future in town as a business owner and local. 

Find out more about him at http://sqautofair.com/#!/About-us