Making Meaningful Connections

One of our favorite parts of connecting rural towns is the connections were able to make with the people that make each community so special. In Valleyview we’ve had the pleasure of meeting two such people who are truly passionate about their community, its members and each of the unique locales and businesses that make Valleyview great. Our newest local ambassador Matt Shepard (you may know him as Shep) and his good friend Adrian Petrilli have made it their mission to ensure Valleyview keeps raising the bar on its full potential.

Shep arrived in Valleyview from Washington State in 2013 and first met Adrian, a Calgary native, when he joined a community Softball team in 2015. One day Shep walked into Tall Timber Coffee Co. and sparked up a conversation with Adrian that would go until 2:30 in the morning. After some time and several cups of Coffee, Shep and Adrian decided that they both wanted to make it their mission to build up Valleyview, make the town better in every way they could and show its surrounding communities just how cozy and vibrant of a place it truly is. They even thought of becoming their very own internet service provider and connecting Valleyview! A few days later a local trailer park was put up for sale and they both knew what they needed to do. The Good Greedy Capitalist Corp. was born.

“The mission and vision that Shep and Adrian have for Valleyview is exactly why we are so excited that we get to work with Shep towards this mission and make it a mission of our own.”

From that day on Shep and Adrian were on a mission to clean up the park, renovate and rent out it’s spaces and grow their business. Adrian joined the Chamber of Commerce and they both began volunteering around the community everywhere they could. Their approach to their business and Valleyview’s community are one in the same – Make it nicer, brighter and ensure it is full of life.

We love these kinds of stories because it captures what is so special about rural communities. The relationships and the ownership each community member feels in Valleyview is incredibly special. The mission and vision that Shep and Adrian have for Valleyview is exactly why we are so excited that we get to work with Shep towards this mission and make it a mission of our own.