When he's not running his successful international freight forwarding business, Chang H. Choi likes to pursue two of the hobbies he's developed since immigrating to Ontario in 1991. He collects wild mushrooms and is an avid bird-watcher. These are part of Ontario's varied lifestyles, which makes him glad he decided to settle here.

His hobbies, he says, help him in his business by allowing him to learn English and about North American customs. "If people decide they want to live and work in Canada, they have to try hard to adapt themselves to Canadian society, " Mr. Choi says. "By pursuing hobbies, they can join groups here and learn form them."

"In Asia, you can enjoy the material things. In Ontario, you can also enjoy nature."

"When I first joined the bird watching society, I couldn't speak English at all. I didn't know anything, even the names of the birds. But gradually, I picked up some of the language, " Mr. Choi adds. "We have to try. That way, we learn to communicate with each other."

Mr. Choi used his international experience to set up his business, which employs 16 people, and forwards freight, mostly building materials, all over the world. He worked 10 years in Japan as an executive for a Korean company. "My specialty was shipping," he says.

On returning to Korea, he had developed allergies which couldn't be controlled and after checking out the business possibilities in Canada, he decided to locate in Ontario. He found there was a developing market for his kind of expertise and his company continues to grow. His business includes container shipping, freight and cargo forwarding, packaging, trucking and warehousing. "There is a heavy and increasing demand for this kind of service throughout Canada," he says. His primary markets are Korea and Japan and he is looking to expand his business with China.

"I decided Ontario would be the best location to establish a freight forwarding and transportation company, " he says. "It has close proximity to an international airport, extensive shipping facilities, as well as excellent highway access to major routes to the United States."

Mr. Choi's headquarters are located in the Southern Ontario City of Brampton, only seven minutes from Pearson International Airport. It is less than an hour from the deep water ports of Toronto and Hamilton and five minutes away from a major rail transport centre. It's an ideal location for his business.

But he says it is his new lifestyle which enhances the quality of life for himself and his wife and daughter. "When I was in Korea, we sacrificed ourselves to the company from morning, until late at night. A developing country requires that kind of sacrifice for development."

Now, he can not only operate a successful business but enjoy the bounties of Ontario, including, he says, Algonquin Park, a vast wilderness area only a couple of hours drive north of his home. "In Asia, you can enjoy the material things," he says. "In Ontario, you can also enjoy nature. We have such a good environment in Canada."

And Ontario is where his heart is. "When I take a trip with my wife and daughter, we start to feel comfortable when the plane is approaching Pearson International Airport. When the plane is landing, we know we are coming home."