“I feel proud to be a business owner here. I feel proud to be part of this community.” - Syed Naqvi

Since 2005, Syed Naqvi and his family have enjoyed every day spent exploring Medicine Hat and attending family-friendly events.

“There are so many parks and recreational places here. My kids love skating, and swimming. Sometimes we just drive around for hours and adore all the beautiful old buildings and houses,” says Naqvi. “There is so much to explore and discover to get to know the history and how this city came together and how it’s thriving. It seems like everywhere we go in the city, we enjoy it.”

Naqvi says the city is a great place to raise a family. His family will spend days at the Saamis Tepee and other Indigenous landmarks to learn more about the history and culture of Indigenous peoples. Spectrum Sunshine Festival was an event the family always attended, as well as the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede.

“We have all these musical shows and all these outdoor spaces. There is just so much here, and I could spend hours talking about what there is to do,” says Naqvi. “It’s a beautiful small city full of loving and caring people. You have people who’ve never been here move here, and you have people who move away and come back, and I think that’s because there is a sense of community here and a sense of belonging.”

Naqvi has owned the downtown business Penny Profit since 2008, where he’s met many people in the city.

“I have made so many good friends, and so many customers I know have become like family to me,” says Naqvi. “I feel proud to be a business owner here. I feel proud to be part of this community.”