In the early 1990s, as a young mechanical engineering student during the time of the breakup of Yugoslavia, Miroslav Ninkovic was forced to give up his studies and career dream and take on construction work to keep bread on the table. After almost a decade of enduring war, in 2000 he and his young bride Danijela made the difficult decision to immigrate. Lucky for Canada they chose Toronto.
As a newcomer, while studying English, Miroslav stuck with construction work until he bravely applied for a superintendent position at a midtown tower. “This is where Danijela and I happily resided surrounded by my tenant ‘customers’ and near great shops and schools. As our family grew, we welcomed Marianna, now at university, and Stephan in high school.”
But Miroslav’s life took another turn last fall that would see his family uprooted from their midtown home.
“New owners took over the building where we resided and I worked as the superintendent. They shrunk the staff and budget. After 20 years of service and being offered a dismal new contract, my family made the second very difficult decision of our lives. It was time to move on.”
St. Clair and Yonge area’s loss has been Leaside’s gain. “In November 2022, we moved to Leaside where we have friends and love the neighbourhood’s central location, variety of shops, and lots of places to walk our energetic dog, Hugo.”
When asked if there is anything he’d change about Leaside Miroslav quipped, “I do wish the tennis club’s waitlist was shorter.”
In the less than a year Miroslav has lived in Leaside he is already making his mark as a handyperson, working on a wide variety of jobs, from fixing leaky taps and painting rooms to building and installing shelves, cupboards and counters for kitchens and laundry rooms.
Miroslav’s clients (inside and outside Leaside over the past decade) really appreciate his services. Sophia Vayda told me, “He consistently builds, fixes, and finds solutions to a multitude of projects for me. He’s skilled, reliable, and trustworthy.” Paul Pei added, “Over the past 10 years, he’s provided first-class results with care and precision. We have the greatest respect for him and recommend him unreservedly.” Appreciating these comments, Miroslav said, humbly: “I really enjoy helping my customers make their residence a home.”
Danijela joined in the chorus singing Miroslav’s praises. “He’s quiet, thoughtful, and very talented. His engineering background has him creating innovative solutions to challenging problems. He delivers what he promises on time and works in a safe and tidy way, even at home. When we can book him!”
Like me, you might want to contact Miroslav before his dance-card is full. .
