A soccer shop in Vancouver, North America Sports, has been a part of the city’s soccer scene for almost five decades. The shop, owned by Ferruccio Susin, an Italian-born immigrant, has grown alongside the sport in the city.

A Lifelong Dream

Susin’s passion for soccer led him to pivot his business from ski boots to soccer gear in 1978. He moved to East Hastings after spotting Vancouver Whitecaps fans queuing outside what was then the club’s ticket office.

Today, with Canada co-hosting the World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico, the shop stands as both a witness to and a beneficiary of soccer’s steady growth in Vancouver. The store has served generations of players and fans seeking connections to clubs and countries back home, reflecting Vancouver’s diverse immigrant roots.

Susin hopes that the World Cup will have a long-range positive impact on his store and Canadian soccer, making his store better known and more recognized by many more people.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.