Francisco Melgar, 55, has been a cleaner since he first arrived in Calgary in the 1980’s. He comes from Mejicanos, El Salvador, and has lived in Calgary for 34 years. Work was difficult for him to find at first, so he decided to become a cleaner, which involved going into bars and restaurants to clean in the early morning and late evening.
Melgar has worked for Bottlescew Bill’s for 10 years, with his initial work with them being a side-job to his full-time job. Bottlescrew Bill’s has been around for 40 years, and they are known for their diverse beer menu spanning 80 countries. They have a beer passport that encourages people to try all their beers.
Since being laided off, Melgar has worked for Bottlescrew Bill’s as his main source of income; though, recently he came upon a position at an elder’s home as their maintenance person.
Reserved and determined, Melgar never complained when it came to his position. Instead, he went with the flow of life and made the circumstances work.