Born and raised in Calgary’s northwest, I come from a long line of hardworking hands and humble ambition. My Opa immigrated from the Netherlands in 1951 and went on to become a contractor and carpenter, eventually managing the development and construction of the Carriage House Inn. For decades, he and my Oma made it their Friday night spot — right up until their passing in the early 2000s. That kind of pride in your work, and connection to place, stuck with me. My uncle followed suit — the first carpenter in Alberta to earn his master’s ticket from SAIT. He ran Heynen Construction from the early ’80s through the mid-’90s, and like him, I found myself drawn to building things that last. I’m a Red Seal Journeyman Electrician by trade, with both residential and commercial experience under my belt, but my interest in working with my hands started way earlier — in junior and senior high shop class, where the spark really hit.