Get to Know the People on Preston

People on Preston is a collection of street portraits and interviews with merchants, residents and patrons who live, work and play on Preston Street. Read more of their stories.

Diana Sheldrick Diana Sheldrick “I have been working as a Registered Massage Therapist since I graduated from Algonquin College in 2005. I absolutely... Read their story
Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, ND and Dr. Clare Sullivan, ND Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, ND and Dr. Clare Sullivan, ND As a healer, Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur chose the name of her clinic wisely. Docere means ‘doctor as teacher’ and it is... Read their story
David Whiteley David Whiteley "I have been involved with theatre for most of my life and have been doing shows at The Gladstone Theatre since 2009. For... Read their story
Kyle Smendziuk Kyle Smendziuk “We like to say we’re all about helping business owners ‘create an unfair advantage’ and our team loves finding... Read their story
Mark Roundell, Lyne Ouimet, Jenna Roundell and Scott Goodridge Mark Roundell, Lyne Ouimet, Jenna Roundell and Scott Goodridge "Collectively, our team has almost one hundred years’ experience in the financial services industry. We recently... Read their story
Bob Volks and Louise Beckinsale Bob Volks and Louise Beckinsale "Our mutual love of birding really solidifies our partnership in business and in life. Also, having a strong sense of... Read their story
Mina Martello and Cristina Forieri Mina Martello and Cristina Forieri "Ours is the epitome of a family business that continues to thrive thanks to personalized service. Vasto Dry Goods... Read their story
Fabio Leggeri and Fernando Belli Fabio Leggeri and Fernando Belli "We're cousins and we've been in business together for 30 years. I spent a lot of time on Preston when I was growing up;... Read their story
Jamie Lennox Jamie Lennox “I’ve spent almost a decade and half with the Heart and Crown group and have been here at the busy Preston Street... Read their story
Caitlin Gagnon and Geneviève Duguay Caitlin Gagnon and Geneviève Duguay “We’ve both been in the beauty industry for a long time. After working together in some high end salons, we decided... Read their story
Amy and Matt Garrett Amy and Matt Garrett “I guess you might describe us as trailblazers on two wheels. We saw how popular adult scooters were on a trip to Miami... Read their story
Chris Lalonde Chris Lalonde "I fell in love with photography in high school and was fortunate to win an award for my work while studying at La Cité... Read their story
Lori Mellor (Executive Director Preston Street BIA) Lori Mellor (Executive Director Preston Street BIA) “I’m in dialogue with the city. There are community improvement plans (CIP) and the city has two in place right now.... Read their story
Nicholas Caragianis Nicholas Caragianis “We were established in 1993 and have been in the Preston Street Area since then, starting in the Commerce Tower at 333... Read their story
Fabio Vitagliano Fabio Vitagliano “I started out as a busboy in 1986. My first job was in Toronto; back in the days when even the busboys wore tuxedos.... Read their story
Joe Ciampa Joe Ciampa “I began investing at age 16. I dabbled in the markets and learned a lot. I went from studying engineering to studying... Read their story
Liana Guberman Liana Guberman “I’ve wanted to be a dentist as far back as I can remember. I had a lot of orthodontic treatment growing up as a kid... Read their story
Mario Giannetti Mario Giannetti “The founders of Preston Hardware were the Locatelli and Germain families. They started in 1945 and ran a very strong... Read their story
Lori Mellor (Executive Director Preston Street BIA) Lori Mellor (Executive Director Preston Street BIA) “I’m in my 13th year now and the big challenge for us was to get the beautification project. We’d had very little... Read their story
Vicki Copland Vicki Copland “I live just around the corner. It makes my commute nice [laughs]. I moved in November of 2009. With the winter coming... Read their story
Emily Ienzi and Steve Harris Emily Ienzi and Steve Harris “I was always serving in restaurants. I went to university and got my undergrad in political science. I never used it... Read their story
Nick Shallal Nick Shallal “I purchased La Favorita in 1988. It was only take-out and delivery. I introduced a real wood burning stove and unique... Read their story
Tony Zagaria Tony Zagaria “I was born in Italy. I came here when I was seven years old. I did my schooling here. I worked in retail from the age... Read their story
Edward Hum Edward Hum “I’ve been in this business since I was 15. I’ve been here on Gladstone for about nine years. I started out working... Read their story
Tony and Maria Zacconi Tony and Maria Zacconi “My parents opened Sala San Marco when I was 11. That was my first job. I’ve worked here basically my whole life. I... Read their story
Steve Moffatt Steve Moffatt “I joined Waterford Property Group after running my family’s real estate holding company for almost 30 years. I’d... Read their story
Brian Murray Brian Murray “Sakto Corporation began construction on Preston Square in 1988 and opened our doors in 1990. If you know the market at... Read their story
Barry J.Hobin Barry J.Hobin “My dad was a general contractor, so I grew up on construction sites. It’s an idea my dad planted in my head. He... Read their story
Joe Lofaro Joe Lofaro “I started to become interested in video way before VHS came out. I bought my first TV camera and recorder in July... Read their story
Roberto Campagna Roberto Campagna “The site of our office is where my grandparents lived years ago. I spent a lot of time playing here. There’s a lot... Read their story
Lori Mellor Lori Mellor “This is the most exciting career I never knew existed. It combines so many different skill sets. I came from office... Read their story
Suzana and Rino Franzese Suzana and Rino Franzese “We used to come to the previous café at this location. This is actually where we met and started dating. When it came... Read their story
Judy Faulkner Judy Faulkner “After I graduated from university in 1983 my mother, Sandra Faulkner, encouraged me to come into the real estate... Read their story
Bela Csombok Jr. and Kurt Hillebrand Bela Csombok Jr. and Kurt Hillebrand Young Street Garage: “It started off with Winfried Hillebrand and Bela Csombok Senior; my father and my business... Read their story
Marilisa Granzotto, Alina Safonova, Vadim Safonov Marilisa Granzotto, Alina Safonova, Vadim Safonov “I grew up in an Italian household. We danced all the time at our gatherings. A friend told me about Arthur Murray. I... Read their story
Arjet Meti and Ottavio Formica Arjet Meti and Ottavio Formica “We started about four years ago when the owner, Massimo, bought the bakery. We’re all friends in here. When I got... Read their story
Roderick Lahey Roderick Lahey “I have always surrounded myself with the arts. While enrolled in an architectural technology program I went to a... Read their story
Vivian Vanphaseuth Vivian Vanphaseuth “My mother was a seamstress all her life. When I was younger, I helped her by doing a little sewing; whatever I could... Read their story
Bob Russell Bob Russell “I love food. I was a home cook. My daughter was home from university and her friends would come over for supper Sunday... Read their story
Shawn Moffatt Shawn Moffatt “I was involved in a lot of athletics from a very young age. I hit a bit of a wall and had some physical limitations as... Read their story
Frank Nicastro Frank Nicastro “Our family’s been in the food business for generations, starting in Italy where my dad’s father was a butcher. His... Read their story
Dr. Eric DesGroseilliers Dr. Eric DesGroseilliers “I always had a bit of an interest in sciences, yet I was a bit of a people person. I was studying at Ottawa U in... Read their story
Pasquale Carrozza Pasquale Carrozza “We opened in 1981. This is the original Trattoria in Ottawa and it’s family-run. My sister Connie is at the helm as... Read their story
Elena and Victor Mazzola Elena and Victor Mazzola “For 22 years we’ve been preparing meals in a Canadian style for kids with Mazzola Enterprises. So now we have a very... Read their story
Sarah Parmenter and Dan Ricetto Sarah Parmenter and Dan Ricetto “When I was a student at chiropractic school I had an injury to my lumbar disc. I found a very gentle technique that... Read their story
Melyssa Rondhuis Melyssa Rondhuis “My mom would say I was the weirdest kid. I’ve never really been one to follow suit, which is surprising because my... Read their story
Donna Fornelli Donna Fornelli “I began yoga classes in 1968 at the YWCA in Victoria, B.C, where I was introduced to the Iyengar style of yoga and I... Read their story
Eric Diotte Eric Diotte “I’ve always loved food. My grandma and grandpa always did big family meals. I first got more serious when I started... Read their story
Darrell Thomas Darrell Thomas “One of my friends was going to her prom. She bought fabric and wanted to make the dress with her friends. I’d never... Read their story
Joe Cotroneo Joe Cotroneo “I was born and raised down here; 271 Preston, where the Adult High School soccer field is right now. I lived down here... Read their story
John Fritz John Fritz “For me, yoga’s always been that accessible exercise that keeps me grounded and focused. It’s also really helpful... Read their story
Amanda Acker Amanda Acker “I’ve practiced my entire career focusing on oral and systemic health. There’s the business side of the things and... Read their story
Jen Broad Jen Broad “With Bridgehead it’s not dealing with money it’s dealing with people. It all filters down. If I feel valued and... Read their story
Angie and Amanda Cambareri Angie and Amanda Cambareri “For us our late Uncle Vincent, who passed away at age 11 before we could have met him, represents the creative... Read their story
Dr. Karen MacDonald, DDS Dr. Karen MacDonald, DDS “During my third year of pharmacy studies I started to think about what I really wanted to do. I wanted to be more... Read their story
Anna Popadopoulos Anna Popadopoulos “Our recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. My mother has always been baking and she had us... Read their story
Antonella Ceglia Antonella Ceglia “La Roma Restaurant originally opened in 1962 on the corner of Somerset and Bronson Avenue. Our family took over in... Read their story
Daniel C. Fernandes Daniel C. Fernandes “I’ve known that I wanted to be a lawyer since I was eight. I remember going into my dad’s lawyer’s office at the... Read their story
Toni and Angela Imerti Toni and Angela Imerti “My husband’s family owned the restaurant about 30 years ago. It got sold two or three times. The last owner closed... Read their story
Bryan Livingston Bryan Livingston “When I was really young, my mother used to read me the book Stone Soup. At the end, I insisted on making the soup.... Read their story
Natalie Esau Natalie Esau “I’ve known since I was about 13 years old that I wanted to be an esthetician. In high school I did a co-op placement... Read their story
Joe Calabro Joe Calabro “Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana opened in May 1979; a small family run business. No one could have known how successful we... Read their story
Sylvie Lapointe Sylvie Lapointe “I finished school in March and I moved in here in October. I had very little [business] experience but lots of drive.... Read their story