Carleton Place barbershop fined $880 for opening, as personal care services push to be included in reopening plans
There is a growing push from the personal care service industry for businesses like barbershops and beauty salons to reopen.
At Towne Barbershop in Carleton Place, owner Kyle Blundell opened an outdoor barber chair Wednesday morning.
"I did about seven haircuts," says Blundell. "I made it from 9:30 a.m. until about 1:30 p.m."
That’s when the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark Health Unit arrived to shut down the event, fining Towne Barbershop $880.
"It was sort of a grey area for me," says Blundell when asked if he knew he was breaking the COVID-19 restrictions.
"I knew that I wasn’t legally allowed to open indoors but watching other local hairdressers and stuff open outside, local barbershops, I just sort of thought I’d give it a shot."
After announcing the outdoor opening on Facebook, Blundell’s barbershop scheduled 180 haircuts within the first three hours. The Carleton Place barbershop is just one example of the personal care service industry’s frustration with Ontario’s reopening plan.
"If I can have 10 people at my house, what’s one on one with masks?" questions Blundell. "I mentioned no beard trims, it was literally just haircuts only."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke directly to industry owners Thursday, when asked if a quicker reopening was being considered.
"When it comes to the hair dressers, folks hang in there. We’re going to get there as soon as possible," said Ford.
It’s a similar situation in Carp, where Jennifer Jones runs a beauty studio out of her home. Last week she attempted to offer only pedicures to customers outdoors, before being shutdown by Ottawa Bylaw Services.
"I was sure with the new phase opening up that if I can have 10 people outdoors now, we all can, I’m sure I can at least do one of my many services which would be pedicures," said Jones. "I can’t do anything else."
"(It's a) nice safe distance, we’re both wearing masks, nice music going on, it’s a beautiful day," Jones said as she described her outdoor studio in her backyard.
She’s pleading with the province to not only let her get back to work, but get back to helping customers feel their best.
"Getting a good pedicure is an amazing feeling even though we’re in a pandemic," says Jones. "Stop taking so much away from us."
Ford addressed those in Jones’ position Thursday as well.
"Manicures, pedicures; I have five women in my house, well not in my house, but five women that are onto me, they’re lobbying me hard for these manicures and pedicures," said the Premier.
But the lack of news on any further reopening is like nails on a chalkboard to those forced to stay closed.
"So wait until hopefully July 2, or 3rd or 4th, whatever the date is that I can actually open up," says Blundell.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.