My father, Michalo Harasym, known in Canada as Michal Harasym,
                            was born in Ukraine on October 1st, 1921. There, he lived on a farm with his parents,
                  two sisters, and one brother. His early life was difficult, added by severe allergies to hay and weeds.

By age 17, my father could bear no more. He applied and was granted admission to a school for tailors. There, he
would learn a respectable profession and become self-sufficient, a quality he carried with him throughout his life.
Eventually, his skills led him to a job in Germany. There he continued his apprenticeship, adding precision cutting and
pattern making. Soon he would be able to tailor the finest custom suits.

At age 28, my dad married my mother Tatiana. The birth of my oldest sister, Irene, followed. My father soon
found himself looking for a more secure life for his young family. So, in 1948, he signed for a one year contract
to work as a laborer on a farm in Tavistock, Ontario. Thinking of his wife and child left behind, my father
wanted to bring them to Canada. But again, he was plagued by the same crippling allergies that haunted his
childhood, forcing him to leave the farm in Tavistock.

He found his way to the Salvation Army, in Woodstock, and with nothing but his desire to succeed -- he
began his search for work. His determination paid off, and within days he was employed. With his small
bag, housing a few meager belongings, my father arrived in London.

He began working in a tailor shop on Dundas St., located opposite Kingsmills Dept store. The working
conditions were poor. Lack of lighting and improper ventilation made long hours difficult to bear.
Throughout the months ahead, Michal worked ever mindful that the 50¢ an hour he was earning, would
one day re-unite him with his family. Hard work and dedication did bring rewards, and within a few
months, my father was earning the princely sum of $1.00 an hour.

Here, Michal remained hand tailoring suits for well-to-do business men. He remained at this job for 8 long
years. Between the ten hour days, and the exhaustive six day work schedule, most men would have been
satisfied they had done everything possible to provide for their families. But not my father. In his spare time,
he took on the private customers, sewing suits for them - making an extra $40.00 per suit.

But a one bedroom apartment is not enough for a young wife and children who want to play. By 1953, Michal had scrimped and saved
enough to purchase his first lot. There, on Emerson Avenue in London, the entire Harasym family worked together to build our first
home. 1400 square feet of living space. The house boasted three bedrooms and one washroom. A year later, Michal sold his home
fetching an astounding $9000.00.

A second home was built, and sold, and soon a third. My father, understanding the needs of his Ukrainian friends, found
himself building homes which suited them financially and emotionally. He built good homes, with good materials. Soon,
his name spread and my father found new clients throughout the London area. Westmount and Lambeth were two of
his most successful sites.
_________

My father died in 1993. He was 71. To this day the Harasym name carries on in custom home building. Every
time I meet with a new client, I can hear my father reminding me to respect people and to set and meet high
standards in quality and workmanship. I hear him and remember his legacy. I am very grateful to both of
my parents for the ethics they instilled in me at work and at home. And every time I take that final walk
through a newly built custom home, I can't help but hope that somewhere my father is nodding in
approval.