Hiralal Chowhan & Co.

Hiralal Chowhan & Co. is right in the thick of it at 21D Canning Street. If you’ve ever been to this part of the city, you know how crowded and hectic it gets. We’ve been in this old building for quite a while now. The stairs are a bit narrow and the walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but it feels like home to us. We’re surrounded by other traders and shops, so there’s always someone shouting or a cart being pushed past the door. We handle our business from a small office that’s usually overflowing with ledgers and samples. We don't go for any of that modern corporate stuff. We prefer doing things the way we always have—face to face and with a lot of conversation. It’s a bit of a maze getting here, but once you’re inside, it’s just us. We drink a lot of tea throughout the day to keep our energy up. The fans overhead never seem to go fast enough in the summer heat. We know most of the other people on the street. It’s a real community, even if it’s a bit chaotic. We just keep our heads down and focus on the day’s work. There’s no secret to what we do; we just show up every morning and see what needs to be handled. It’s a busy life on Canning Street, and we’ve been part of it for a long time.