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| TOYS GET CANADIAN SPIN |
The Hamilton Spectator-
Hamilton-11/11/2003-
Action Dolls With a Difference Celebrate Canadian Notables.
Canada's first prime minister didn't fly faster than a speeding bullet or spin webs to catch thieves.
But Sir John A. Macdonald is still a hero to Andrew Nafekh,a longtime Grimsby resident who now lives in Montreal with his wife Sonia and three children.
The couple, through their company Nafekh Technologies Inc...,have created a John A. Macdonald action figure for kids, complete with a 20--page bilingual history book of his life.
If all goes well, the doll will join the ranks of superman, spiderman, and other action figures lining toy shelves across Canada.
The Macdonald doll is the first in Nafekh's Canadian Legends line of action figures.
Future possibilities include dolls of Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Trudeau - both prime ministers - as well as entertainers, military figures, athletes and other notewaorthy Canadians, dead or alive.
"We're very flexible based on what people want," said Nafekh, 38,who expects the Macdonald doll to be popular with parents, teachers, and collectors seeking educational toys.
Egyptian-born Nafekh immigrated to Canada at age one with his family, settling in the Hamilton area. He grew up in Grimsby, studied statistics at McMaster University and spent thirteen years in the navy, where he climbed the ranks from cadet to Lieutenant.
He now works in the private sector as a corporate trainer. Sonia, whom he met while in Ottawa, is a stay-at-home mom. They are marketing the doll part-time.
The navy fostered a love of Canadian history in Nafekh. " We're very passionate about our country. We're very excited to be launching this type of product." His children, aged four, eight, and ten, got him thinking about the need for high-quality educational toys.
The Macdonald action figure, available since late Sseptember, made the Canadian Toy Asssociation's list of hot toys for the holiday season. That's a major coup for the couple, who are marketing the doll at trade shows and through the media. They plan to promote it at the Liberal Leadership Convention in Toronto, even though Macdonald was a Conservative. " We know there will be a few critics there but we're ready for that," said Nafekh, who expected to smooth any ruffled feathers by explaining his concept for the Wilfrid Laurier doll. Laurier, a Liberal, was prime minister from 1896-1911.
The Macdonald doll is intended for ages 8 to 12. Suggested retail price $19.99, to order visit www.canadianlegends.ca. |
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