On the latest edition of Community Unwrapped, Eesti Elu spoke to long-term member of the Toronto-Estonian community, Armand Lepik.
From Estonian School to Skaudid (Scouts), Armand was involved in many of the activities the Toronto-Estonian community has to offer. During the summer, he spent his time going to Jõekääru and Kotkajärve, where he met his wife, Kristina Lepik. This year, the couple is celebrating their five-year anniversary and recently purchased their first home together in Lindsay, Ontario.
After finishing high school, Armand began working in carpentry, which he loved. Wanting to explore other ventures, he later opened his own car detailing business. However, after realizing how much he missed carpentry, he eventually found his way back to the field by working alongside one of his best friends and his friend’s father at their company. After gaining more experience, Armand decided to open his own carpentry business, and launched APL Carpentry. “I’ve had this business for about three years now. It’s been great so far,” he said.
For Armand, there is no typical day of work. “One day, I could be doing siding on a house, whether it be some sort of a composite siding,James Hardie fibre cement siding, or vinyl siding,” he explained. “Or, I could be doing demolition on a renovation project, which would turn into a little bit of carpentry, insulation, drywall, taping, painting, and then trim work. I also do work with the Ontario Parks. I do all the carpentry work for Balsam Lake Provincial Park. I've done some commercial work as well, which involved a lot of timber work at a retirement home in Lindsay.”
“I never really had a mentor, but I feel like that would be a really beneficial thing for somebody starting out, to have somebody knowledgeable to show you the ropes.”
(Armand Lepik)
Participating in activities like Skaudid taught Armand how to be tough and resourceful, which are skills he now relies on in his day-to-day work. “I’ve also had the opportunity to work for Robert Martjak, who has his own company. Seeing how he owned and operated his business was very influential for the way I opened up my business,” he said.
For those interested in entering the field, Armand emphasizes the importance of mentorship. “I never really had a mentor, but I feel like that would be a really beneficial thing for somebody starting out, to have somebody knowledgeable to show you the ropes.” He also cautions that “you have to be okay with working out in the elements,” he said. “I was just recently working in minus thirty degree conditions. You have to know how to keep warm to put in a productive day,” he added.
Add in the backend work—emailing, invoicing, and managing client relationships—after a long day on the job, and the workload quickly adds up. Still, Armand says it’s all worth it when he can step back and see what he’s built. “It’s very rewarding getting to see the fruits of your labour.”
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Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
