'An act of desperation': Winnipeg barber offering 'yard calls' under new public health orders
A Winnipeg barber whose shop has been shuttered amid Manitoba's lockdown is getting creative in an effort to pay the bills—he is bringing his business to his customers' yards.
With Manitoba's new health orders set to take effect on the weekend, Jeremy Regan, the owner of the Hunter and Gunn Barbershop in Winnipeg, has decided to start offering 'yard calls' to clients.
"It's basically a little bit of an act of desperation," Regan told CTV News.
Regan said in the past 14 months his barbershop has been closed for close to seven months. For the months the shop was open, he said its capacity was limited.
Despite some financial assistance from the province, Regan said the bills and payments have been starting to pile up.
"I'm looking for a creative way to try and earn income so that my mortgage payment can be made, I can buy food, and just basically get by until we are open full time and hopefully rebuild the business."
While barbershops are required to remain closed in Manitoba, the new orders do allow small groups to gather outside.
Under the orders which take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, groups of five people can gather outdoors in public, and five people plus household members can visit outdoors on private property.
Regan said with the new orders he will be taking his barbershop business to people's yards—all people need to do is provide the chair.
"I'm going to bring my tools which are all electric, and my sanitizing spray, and we both are going to wear masks and I'm going to give people haircuts," Regan told CTV News Winnipeg.
He said he has received his COVID-19 vaccine, and will be taking precautions while cutting hair including full sanitization of all his tools.
In the hours since making the announcement on Twitter, Regan said he has received around 100 requests for haircuts.
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