Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Stephen Encarnacao relocated to Vancouver when he took the helm of Dayton Boots, which has been making classic (and now trendy) footwear in Vancouver since the 1940s. The company’s small flagship store is on East Hastings Street, in the city’s Hastings-Sunrise neighborhood east of downtown.

Scout Magazine recently interviewed Encarnacao, a former Reebok exec who is now president and CEO of the boot maker, about life in Vancouver, including his favorite coffee shops, green spaces, and the things that surprise him most about the city.

You can read the complete interview here.

Photo ©Dayton Boot Co.