Home away from home

Karen Lander
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 29/99) - Shahram Yazdanmehr loves to provide hospitality as the manager of the Lena Pederson Kitikmeot Boarding Home.

In 1979, Yazdanmehr was forced to move from his home in Iran to India to go to university. The universities in Iran had all been closed down because of a revolution.

Once in India, he got his Bachelor of Commerce and Management Studies. In 1983, the government of Canada accepted Yazdanmehr as a Bahai refugee because he could not go back to his country -- mainly because the people of that particular religion were being killed.

"Canada has a great relationship with the Bahais," said Yazdanmehr.

He had gone to Halifax and worked as a night auditor. In 1984, Yazdanmehr married his girlfriend Susan, who was attending university there. She was studying health education and community studies. She lived in Alberta prior to moving to Yellowknife in 1975.

In October, 1985, Yazdanmehr and his new bride relocated to Yellowknife after Susan had finished her university course.

Yazdanmehr was employed at the boarding home as an assistant manager in 1991 but he slowly worked his way up and in 1995, he became the manager. He is responsible for everything to do with managing and operating the home, which includes staffing, transportation and patient-care.

Yazdanmehr says what he likes most about the job is the people.

"We provide services as best as we can," said the manager. Another thing that he likes is the challenges that go with the job.

"We're trying to provide a home away from home," Yazdanmehr says. "We make it as comfortable as possible for the patients because we know they need extra care."

The proud father states, "I've made Yellowknife my home. Both my kids were born here." His two daughters are Roya, 10, and seven-year- old Shayda.

Yazdanmehr wants to continue working at the boarding home because he enjoys interacting with others.

He plans on staying here in Yellowknife as it is home now.

Some of the hobbies that Yazdanmehr enjoys are soccer, going to movies and walking.