Broadway Shoe Repair in Saskatoon is celebrating 40 years in operation.
Owner Jeff Wickstrom said it took a lot of hard work to keep his business going over the years.
“The sacrifices: early morning, late nights, phone calls, emails. It’s not a job where you punch your clock,” said Wickstrom. “If you have a good day, you take that home. If you have a bad day, that comes home with you as well.”
Wickstrom bought the store from his father, Allan Wickstrom, in 2011. His father bought it in 1983, having been inspired as child after visiting a shoe repairman in a small town.
“I would spend time in his shop and thinking how neat it was to have independence like that and have a little job that he managed his own time,” said Allan. “The shops on Broadway have always been a prominent part of the street, and I’ve been very fortunate and lucky to be part of it. I never thought that the business would sort of be as good and successful.”
After years of service and countless repairs, Allan knew he made the right decision to hand the business over to his son.
“It was always a fun place to be here. When I (handed) it off to my son, it was very gratifying to see what he’s done with it,” Allan said.
The Wickstroms say it wasn’t always a smooth ride. During the pandemic, they maintained the business through their website and made adjustments to their business model. They would gather orders and drive around the city delivering complete orders to customers.
“That was very challenging. But you have no choice but to just go through it,” Jeff said. “We were just trying anything to keep afloat … I did everything we could.”
He hopes to keep the business going for years to come.