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Carol Miles set to walk into retirement

Owner of South Delta Heels will be focusing on family, friends and volunteering in the community following her retirement at the end of August
Carol Miles sitting on red couch
Carol Miles sitting on the iconic red couch in the Ladner Village’s South Delta Heels, a shoe store known for its high-quality footwear and customer service.

As the final shoe boxes leave the shelves of South Delta Heels, Carol Miles fondly refers to her time as a business owner in Ladner Village as a learning experience and a gift.

After nine years of running the store known for its high-quality, stylish and comfortable footwear, Miles announced on Facebook last month that South Delta Heels would be packing up shop by the end of August.

“I’ve always loved shoes, and I can tell you that I had, like, a biblical moment – I still remember it – when I was a kid with the first pair of shoes that I fell in love with. I was very small, but I’ve always liked shoes,” says Miles with a grin.

Throughout her time in the Village, she’s played many roles in the community, including chairing the Ladner Business Association (LBA) board meetings for several years.

Miles’ energy, enthusiasm and great sense of humour are what LBA president Jill McKnight remembers most fondly about those meetings, but she emphasizes that it isn’t only in the business community where Miles makes an impact.

“Carol is that lady who would make you a cup of tea if you were out and about and wanted to stop in for a visit … she would take that time to sit and talk with you and ask ‘so, what’s going on in your life?’” says McKnight.

McKnight recalls instances where community members were going through a hard time, Miles went out of her way to support them in whatever ways she could.

LBA secretary Mandip Gill agrees that Miles’ energy is contagious, and that she brings it with her wherever she goes and to whatever it is she’s doing.

“She’s always been a great member of the community, and she’s always been there to help people out and she ran a great business. Her approach and her willingness to give back to the community, I think, was the biggest thing [Carol’s known for],” says Gill.

Angela Husvik from Angela’s Boutique, which is across the street from South Delta Heels, says it is Miles’ outgoing personality that really captures a room, along with how willing she is to get involved.

In the fall, Ladner Village Physiotherapy will be expanding into the current South Delta Heels space.

“I was given the timeline to wind this up, and it all came together with a nice bow on top. And I thought this is a good time to go on a high note because it’s very doable right now,” added Miles.

With retirement, she is looking forward to having some more time to herself, but insists that she still wants purpose and structure to her life – whether that’s volunteering, working a part-time job, painting some rooms in her home that she’s been wanting to do, or meeting up with a friend for lunch.

She extends her deepest thanks to her friends, family and customers who have supported her and her business over the years.

“We’ve had new businesses open up and we’ve lost some other businesses – me, being one of them – but this Village is a living, growing, breathing thing and it should not be allowed to stagnate,” says Miles.