Do-It-Your “Self” Storage: The New Opatovsky Family Business
Dave is the former owner of Opatovsky Funeral Home’s Dempster Chapel & Moore Chapel, in Burk’s Falls and Sundridge for almost 30 years until 2018. As a child Dave always had a dream of being a police officer so 15 years into his career as a funeral director he fulfilled this dream in 2001 joining the Ontario Provincial Police.
Dave began his career with the OPP as a constable performing general law enforcement duties out of the Burk’s Falls detachment. He then took on a position as the Community Services Officer where he developed and instructed programs for all the schools within his detachment area. He was a liaison officer in the local schools, and took the D.A.R.E. program to a new level in the region for which he was recognized with the OPP’s Provincial Accolade Award for Community Service.
Dave continued being actively involved in both careers for several years and after a very satisfying career in taking care of people as both a funeral home operator and an OPP officer, Dave decided to sell the business in 2018 and retire.
A couple of years later, Dave decided to try meeting the storage needs of people in the Northern Ontario community of Callander.
Dave purchased the Callander storage location from AMJ Campbell in 2020 when they decided to divest from operating self-storage units there. In 2021, with the existing Callander units consistently full, Dave realized there was a need for affordable storage and decided to expand into North Bay with a second location.
His goal is to offer affordable storage solutions to people in the area and with the new expansion of service into North Bay, Dave saw an opportunity to go into business with his son Stephen.
The plan now is for Stephen and Dave to work together to develop this business until Dave decides to retire “AGAIN” at which time Stephen and his family can carry on looking after the storage needs of people in the community.
