Dany Semaan & Janet Torres

Although Dany Semaan was born in Lebanon and Janet was born in Mexico, this Power Duo has called the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region home for the past 10 years. As owners of ID Innovative Design, the work of Dany and Janet can be spotted all around town. YMM: What is the most rewarding part of your career? DS: Seeing our graphics and artwork around town. Seeing a client leaving with a smile and knowing what we did made them really happy. Also, when a new client comes to us with a very positive referral. JT: Helping small businesses to start by building a brand or doing any advertising, and seeing them grow and succeed, makes me really happy. Also being available to offer our services free of charge when someone most needs it and making people happy is better than any monetary payment. YMM: Tell us about your volunteer experience in the community. DS: We sponsor Fort McMurray sports teams, and donate to charities and non-profit organizations. We also support and donate materials to individuals for a good cause. JT: We volunteer with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and The Support Through Housing Team (STHT). We volunteered with the Fort McMurray Strong movement during the forest fire and collected donations for the community. YMM: What do you consider to be the best things about the community? DS: It’s a tight-knit community, The city can give you a lot to get you a head start in life. You can come here with nothing, and achieve a lot in a short period of time. I also believe the community will always have your back when you most need it. JT: The city of Fort McMurray provides a safe environment to grow a family. It is also a very supportive and strong community that helps each other when circumstances are difficult. The feeling of having no family in town is hard, but having people who will be there for you and your kids in any emergency is amazing. YMM: In what areas do you feel Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo could improve? DS: The downtown area needs to be more alive. I would love to see more variety of restaurants and more entertainment for kids and adults. I also think we should have another way in and out of Fort McMurray in case of emergency. JT: I would love to see an educational greenhouse for the kids where they can learn more about nature such as planting a tree, gardening, growing vegetables, feeding animals and being in contact with Mother Earth. YMM: What accomplishment are you most proud of? DS: Moving to Fort McMurray with a two-year plan but ending up staying here much longer. I have achieved most of my dreams and goals so far at my age and am very proud of my accomplishments. I’m mostly proud of having a beautiful healthy family of three kids with my amazing wife and our dog Chico. It’s a dream come true. JT: Seeing where I started and where I am now, as I moved to Canada from Mexico with no family. I learned a new language and culture, found my life partner and grew a beautiful family with my three kids and our dog. Also, being available to run a full-time business doing what I love and am passionate about. YMM: How should success be measured? DS: Pursuing doing what I love and finding joy in my work, regardless of the amount of money I make on the job. It’s about waking up each day excited to take on the challenges that lay ahead. When you do what you love, work doesn’t feel like work. JT: I believe success is a balance in life. So I think we can probably measure success by how much time we have for ourselves and family, and also how much inner peace and self-growth we really have.