Many immigrants
come to Canada to pursue new opportunities and strive for personal
success. But Aziz Bootwala, an architect who moved to North America from
Mumbai, India, when he was 21 years old, says achieving your own success is
only part of your immigrant story.
According to
Bootwala, to consider yourself truly victorious, you should give back to the
country that gave you your opportunities, especially to new immigrants facing
the same challenges you once did.
A young Bootwala
worked hard to achieve his own story of professional success in Canada, and
today he is managing principal, Edmonton, and vice president of business
development, at Kasian, one of Canada’s largest architecture and engineering
firms. He says it is a can-do attitude of hard work that is the secret to
success for all immigrants. “You have to make sure that whatever you do, you’re
doing it, not only the best that you can, but the best that there is,” he says.
“I think whatever we take on, whether it’s a professional position or a
volunteer position, we need to make sure that we are the best that best can
be.”
This mantra has
guided Bootwala’s career in architecture, starting with graduating from the
Raheja School of Architecture in Mumbai and continuing his studies with a
master’s in architecture at Kansas State University. Then Bootwala moved to Los
Angeles, where he spent 10 years working with two prestigious architectural
firms. But, while Bootwala was living in the United States, the rest of his
family moved from Mumbai to Edmonton.
So, in the early
1990s, Bootwala was faced with a life-changing decision: the sunshine state or
a hockey town?
Choosing
Canada
Choosing Canada
was an easy decision for him. And he hasn’t looked back since.
“The quality of
life in Canada versus America was very promising. The access to facilities, the
freedom to follow your faith and just be a part of the pluralistic society made
Canada feel a lot more promising for the future,” he says.
However, when
Bootwala first settled in Canada, he admits there were challenges. “Life in the
early 1990s was a lot different than it is today,” he says. “Today, the U.S.
and Canada are far more advanced in their approach to accepting people from
different cultures and communities than they were back then.”
There was little
support for him and he had to make his own way. Fortunately, he found a job in
his field with a very welcoming company in 1994; in fact, he says that being a
part of the Kasian team has been intrinsic to his immigrant journey. “I feel I
owe a large part of my success to the vision and the welcoming nature of
Kasian,” says Bootwala, who moved up from employee to principal partner.
Benefiting from
his international background, Bootwala represented Kasian in the Middle East in
2007, opening their offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai. In 2011, still
based in Dubai, Bootwala moved on to an opportunity as managing principal for
Stantec Middle East, expanding his expertise in master planning for large-scale
mixed-use developments and hospitals. But he was more than happy to return to
Canada and Kasian. “It’s always felt like home and that’s why when I moved back
to Edmonton in 2015, it wasn’t just a homecoming to my family, it was also a
homecoming to the company who I warmly respect and who also respected me for
who I am.”
And his love for
architecture itself has never wavered either. Bootwala says he feels fortunate
to work in a field that is not only rewarding for him professionally, but one
that creates a better life for everyone. “The key thing about architecture is
that a good design will help enhance people’s lives. More than anything else,
architecture is a profession that allows you to realize people’s dreams,” he
says. “When clients have a dream, we listen to that and make it happen. It’s
among very few professions that blend art and science, and it allows you to
look into the past and learn from it; what has been done what has not been done
and see the impact of various cultures on the design of buildings.”
Bootwala adds
that he has worked on some tremendous ventures — such as the South Edmonton
Common shopping space and the federal building near the Alberta legislature —
but says ones that benefit the community, such as his recent focus on seniors’
homes and assisted living projects, are particularly rewarding.
Mentoring
other immigrants
For Bootwala, a
passion to help others is central to who he is, and he is particularly
enthusiastic about mentoring immigrant architects. This May, Bootwala was
awarded a fellowship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, not only
for his work, but for his commitment to mentoring. “The fellowship is an
acknowledgement from my colleagues and peers who believe I have the best
interests at heart of moving the profession of architecture along and, more
importantly, of helping young architects achieve their dreams,” he says.
Bootwala is
humbled on a personal level, particularly as an immigrant, to receive the
fellowship. “A lot of people may not know the struggles and challenges I faced
to move to North America; to be able to support myself through university and
then support myself and my family. It is an accomplishment and I’m really
thankful that people believed that I have the skills and passion to be able to
represent architecture at that level.”
Helping others
so they don’t face the same challenges he did is the driving force behind his
passion for mentoring. “I swore to myself, that every opportunity that I would
get, I would make sure I would help others so they don’t have to go through
what I went through,” Bootwala says.
“There are a lot
of new immigrants moving to Canada who are in the architectural profession and
I like helping them understand the immigration process and challenges they may
face before getting approved. For example, it’s important to make sure that
they have the right qualifications, because it’s very difficult when a
qualified architect moves to Canada, only to then realize they will not be able
to practise because the school that they went to is not recognized in Canada.”
Advice
for newcomers
To newcomers, he
advises, to keep going and remember to ask for help when you feel alone.
“Always keep your head high and do not underestimate your power — you will be
amazed at what you can do yourself. You have to be willing to work hard, have
commitment and dedication to what you are doing, and have faith in yourself,”
Bootwala says.
“Once you
believe in yourself, it’s amazing how much the world around you will rally for
you. Always seek a mentor, because there are always others like myself who are
truly invested in helping others be successful. And then, when you become
successful, make sure that you find opportunities to give back to your
community, too.”
Come hear Aziz
Bootwala speak at our Edmonton Career, Education and Settlement Immigrant Fair
on October 30, 2017, at the Shaw Conference Centre..
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