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When Janice Davis came to Canada from Jamaica at age 11, she says there wasn’t really anywhere for her to interact with her community.
That’s why she’s turned her business into a place where people can gather, meet others and connect to their culture.
Her shop, Royals Beauty, is a beauty supply store, a salon, a take-out jerk spot and a place where people come to play games, watch sports and hang out with friends.
“The community just accepts me and loves me and I just keep on going, and I become a safe haven for people,” she told CBC’s Sia Foryoh.
Janice Davis, the founder of Royals in Surrey, B.C. (CBC)
“If it wasn’t for the community, I would not be here.”
Davis says people have found job opportunities and even met their future spouses at Royals.
“I think having this place saves and helps a lot of people.”