The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Haider Hussain knows what it takes to run a business. Since immigrating to Canada more than 20 years ago, he has worked jobs that include operating a gas station and managing a convenience store. Now he and wife Shireen have brought their skills to Flin Flon as the new owners of the Oreland Motel. 'It's a nice little place,' says Haider, who, like his wife, is originally from Bangladesh. Haider says the 18-room motel, tucked away on Island Drive just off of Third Avenue, is just the type of business he and his wife were looking for at this stage in their lives. With no supplemental businesses, such as a restaurant, and no long list of regulations to follow, the Oreland offered them simplicity. The Hussains are a long way from their native Bangladesh but are feeling right at home in the welcoming atmosphere of Flin Flon. 'People around here are very nice,' Haider says. The Hussains moved to Canada in 1992 in search of a better education and brighter future for their three children. They landed in Halifax and, later, Lethbridge, Alberta, before finding their way to Flin Flon last year. Having learned online that the Oreland was for sale, they purchased the motel in late September. There has been a learning curve, as neither Haider nor Shireen had ever worked at a motel, but they are settling into their new roles nicely. They have also worked to become a part of the community, with Haider now attending regular Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce meetings. In time Haider plans to get involved with more community organizations and charity work, just as he has throughout his life. And as far as the business climate goes, Haider is hopeful for a bright future for his and other businesses in Flin Flon.
