FULFILLING A DREAM IN QUÉBEC

Proud owner of the Ecolivres bookstore in Granby, Ricardo Robles emigrated from Mexico in 2010 with his wife and two children. Since moving to Québec, the family has grown with the arrival of two more children.

Mr. Robles developed his profound love for Québec over the course of three visits. His first visit was in 1992, when he stayed for 6 months to learn French. He returned in 1997 for a one semester exchange at Université Laval, and came back again in 2001 to work for a few months at the international organization Mer et monde. While Mr. Robles admits that there have been challenges times since his arrival, his resettlement in Québec has been made much easier thanks to his friends Martin, Francine, and Michel, who he met during his previous stays. In the very beginning he had some difficulty finding a job but, shortly after his arrival, a friend brought him to visit the city of Granby, where he noticed a lack of used bookstores in the downtown area. It was then that he decided to take a step away from his degree in food service and technology to fulfill a lifelong dream: he would open a bookstore.

Thanks help from his friends and a grant from EmploiQuébec, he opened a business which continues to flourish. He owes his success to his great sense of curiosity and excellent interpersonal skills; he never hesitates to ask people questions or talk to his clients, character traits to which he also attributes his success as an immigrant. When asked if he has any advice to offer newcomers, he doesn’t hesitate for a second: “Ask questions and embrace the winter, even if sometimes it’s difficult!” When he opened his store, he couldn’t help but wonder how locals would receive him and whether coming from another culture might work against him – but he quickly found that, quite to the contrary, he was warmly welcomed.

Now, almost six and a half years later, Mr. Robles says he is very happy to be both a Quebecer and a Mexican. Although he obviously maintains some customs from his country of origin, he is beyond proud when his children correct his French pronunciation or when they show their excitement at being able to go skating outdoors.

“He decided to fulfill a lifelong dream: he would open a bookstore.” “Mr. Robles says he is very happy to be both a Quebecer and a Mexican.”