Bow Valley Aquarium

Mitchell Karazub grew up around pets. His parents owned Bow Valley Aquarium and as a kid he loved the lizards and fish and all kinds of animals in the shop. So it was only natural that he joined the business as well. “I‘ve never had another job. This is all I’ve ever done,” he says.

Bow Valley Aquarium has grown to become one of the largest suppliers of aquariums in North America. For a while, Mitchell was travelling to cities all across the continent installing aquariums for large national pet store chains. These days he has scaled back, which is great news for Calgary as it gives retail clients regular access to the professional with decades of experience. “When it was rocking, the retail fell by the wayside,” says Mitchell. “It was exciting back in the day. I was in every city in North America, but those 80-hour workweeks get to you after a while. Life is a little simpler for me now.”