Free ear lowering offered in Spryfield

It’s something many of us might take for granted, but for those who have trouble making ends meet, something as simple as a trim and a shave can be a hard thing to come by.

For residents of the Spryfield/Sambro/Herring Cove area, though, that’s no longer the case. Brendan Maguire, MLA for Halifax Atlantic, is teaming up with a local barber to turn his office into a place to get a free haircut once a month from here on out.

“In the first year and a half that I’ve been MLA, we’ve probably seen close to 700 to 800 come in and out of the office. Some people are really struggling, and some of them, they come in and ask us for bus tickets, or ask us for help with making ends meet, things like that,” says Maguire, who was elected into office in 2013. “And I just noticed a common theme that some of these people needed a haircut. And I asked them about it. They said, ‘Well, I’d like to get a job, but one of the things that I struggle with is clean clothes, and presentation,’ things like that.”

“Most people love getting their hair done — it makes them feel good, and it gives you good self-esteem, confidence,” says Shalene Smith, owner and proprietor of Shay’s Shore Line Barber Shop in Sambro.

Smith has been cutting Maguire’s hair for the past four years — long before he was elected into office. The two formed a friendship — like Smith does with most of her clients — and it wasn’t long before the two of them started to conspire about what they could do together for the community.

“When he got into politics, we kind of started talking about maybe teaming up eventually to give haircuts to lower-income families, or someone in need, just to kind of help out the community, give back,” says Smith. “Brendan asked me if I wanted to team up with him, and try it out of the shop for one day a month.”

Last week was the first time the pair put their free ear-lowering idea into practice, with Maguire letting Smith turn his Spryfield headquarters into an impromptu tonsorium for two hours, and opening the doors to anyone in the community who could use a cut. Maguire says that seeing takers before and after their haircuts was like a night-and-day transformation.

“To have that half hour, 45 minutes out of their day to sit down, have a wash and cut, I think it was a sight to see, because you could see the calmness, and I think they just forgot about everything for a moment,” says Maguire. “One gentleman, Earl, he comes into our office quite a bit. It was just night-and-day, it really was. He had said to me that it had been years since he’s had a haircut.”

“It was great, actually. It was just a nice experience,” says Raymond Wells, who came out to the first session to get a trim. “I think that’s a really good idea. I think it’s really nice for them to do that, and it’s helping out the community and everything. ”

Maguire says that the first session had about four takers, and feels that’s pretty good for a barber to take in in a two-hour period. But Smith says she can definitely squeeze more customers into that time frame, and wants to during future sessions.

“We definitely have room to see more people,” says Smith.

Smith believes part of the reason for a smaller turnout the first time around may just be that people in the community were not aware of the opportunity, but she worries that there were plenty who were, but chose not to come anyway out of fear or embarrassment.

“I think that a lot of people are afraid to ask for help when they are in need of help,” says Smith, who says a fresh trim can go a long way in giving people an extra bit of confidence and self-esteem. “There’s not much in this world that’s free these days, so it’s good to take advantage of it when the opportunity arises.”

Maguire stresses that, for those who are worried about being judged for taking in a free haircut, his office is a judgment-free zone.

“I’ve been there. I’ve been in that position,” says Maguire, who says he too spent time on assistance. “I knew what it was like to be in their shoes, and the truth is, what I say to most people is everyday, most of us are not that far removed from being in the same situation.”

Maguire and Smith plan to offer free cuts next on April 6, and continuing to do so on the second Monday of every month from now until the community no longer wants or needs the opportunity. They also believe that more communities should offer the same thing, since the need is not exclusive to the Spryfield area.

“I think it could help anywhere. I think it could help worldwide,” says Smith, who plans to offer her services every month so long as there are people interested. “The hair industry is a never-dying industry. Always, somewhere, there’s somebody that is going to need their hair cut.”

“These are the types of ideas that help change people’s minds on what a politician is, and it helps build your community,” says Maguire, who believes each and every MLA should be looking after the people in their riding as much as possible. “So absolutely, I think everybody should be doing things like this.”

The next session will be on April 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Maguire’s office in Spryfield. For those who are nervous about sitting down for a free trim, Maguire invites them to come and visit the office first.

“Come out before April 6th — come to my office, the door’s always open,” says Maguire. “Have a cup of coffee or a tea with me, sit down, get comfortable, and you’ll see that there’s absolutely no judgment.”