Justin Zeegers Classification Talk

Report by Lindsay Dressel | Photo by Sue Foster

Justin was born and raised on a multi-generational farm in Newcastle, Ontario. Family, hard work, and community were woven into his life from day one. Growing up with his twin brother James and three siblings, Justin was the “numbers guy” in a hands-on family of mechanics and construction workers. While others preferred tools and tractors, Justin preferred spreadsheets and strategy.

As a teenager, he was determined to become a CPA and worked in a Chartered Accountant’s office while in school. But life had other plans. At just 18, Justin spent the summer of 2008 working in the Canadian Arctic on the cleanup of former Cold War DEW Line sites — 30 days on, 6 days off. It was an incredible experience that tested resilience and work ethic.

Over the years, Justin explored several paths before returning to his natural strength: bookkeeping and business finance. He worked long days, often juggling two jobs at once, driven by a simple belief his father instilled in him: If you focus your mind on something, you can achieve it — but you must be ready to live with the consequences of your choices.

That lesson stayed with him.

After 11 years of shift work and the arrival of his daughters, Justin faced a new priority: being present for his family. In November 2023, after 16 months of planning and negotiation, he purchased a local bookkeeping business and built a work-from-home practice. Today, he is not only a business owner but a dad who is home for breakfast, bedtime, and field trips.

Justin and his wife Anna settled in Beamsville in 2013, drawn by their church community and the sense of belonging found in small-town life. Since then, he has embraced community involvement — joining the Chamber of Commerce and now Rotary — because he believes deeply in connection. He loves being able to say, “You need help with that? I know someone.”