From Dream to Downtown: Katia’s Journey with Yara Flowers

One of my favorite parts about working at Momentum is seeing the long-term impact of our programs — not just in numbers, but in real people’s lives. In Katia Goussous’s case, I also get to see that impact every time I buy flowers.

Recently, I picked up a gorgeous bouquet from Yara Flowers for my wife’s birthday. It struck me how much beauty Katia and her family have brought to Calgary, and how much resilience it has taken to get here.

Katia and her husband Refat immigrated from Jordan in 2011 in search of new opportunities for their children. Katia had worked as an interior designer back home, and Refat ran a flower shop. When they got here, like many newcomers, they had to start from scratch. She took a job in retail, while Refat worked at a local flower shop.

But bigger dreams beckoned. She and Refat had experience running the flower shop in Jordan but had no idea how to start a business in Canada. So, Katia stepped through our doors, seeking help to start a business. Momentum provided Self Employment training and a microloan to help launch the business. Katia quit her day job, and together with Refat purchased a long-standing flower shop downtown to open Yara Flowers.

That was in 2012 — just a year after arriving in Canada.

Since then, Katia’s entrepreneurial journey has been tested. The 2013 Calgary flood shut down their store for weeks, spoiling most of their inventory. The 2015 energy downturn hit them hard, too, wiping out nearly 80% of their business as oil and gas customers disappeared. Undaunted, they pivoted, built their own website, and began selling online and doing home deliveries. 

And then came the COVID shutdown in 2020. This blow may have been too much. But Momentum was able to support Katia and Refat with an emergency microloan, bridging the gap until government COVID relief for small businesses arrived.

Through it all, Katia never gave up. She poured her energy into Yara Flowers, adapted again and again, and today continues to run a flourishing local business. At Momentum, we regularly purchase flowers from Yara’s for staff going through difficult times or as thank-you gifts for our volunteers.  

Their shop is still downtown, still family-run, and still serving Calgarians with arrangements that bring joy to everyday moments and life’s biggest celebrations. Their children are thriving too, with one having graduated from university and their youngest almost finished his accounting degree while also working part-time at Yara Flowers! 

For me, Yara Flowers isn’t just my go-to florist — it’s a constant reminder of what’s possible when determination meets opportunity. Katia embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that Momentum exists to support: resilient, creative, and rooted in community.

So next time you’re looking for flowers in Calgary, choose Yara Flowers. When you pick up a bouquet, you’re not only bringing home something beautiful — you’re supporting an inspiring family who turned a dream into reality.

Read about other participants' journeys, or learn more about our programs here.