COVID-19 has changed all of our lives drastically... emotionally and financially. Small Businesses faced a huge financial loss during our first lockdown. A lockdown that we embraced with a common goal to “Flatten” the spread of COVID-19. 

My name is Justin Boswell, a local Amherstburg hair stylist at Ambiance Hair Design. The Ambiance team lead by Gay-Anne Ledingham was faced with the unexpected trials and tribulations of a lockdown due to COVID-19. A three month lockdown that financially crippled and hauled our means of income. Since our return to work June 27th 2020... All of us local hair stylist bound together, touched base and shared ideas on how to keep our business, co-workers and clientele SAFE. We spent countless hours to ensure 100 percent safety when visiting our salons while still giving you the quality hair you trust us with. With ZERO cases of contact tracing through salons- we have done our part. Now we are asking for YOUR help... our trusted client friends and family... 

With the holidays fast approaching (our busiest time of year)... we understand how important it is to continue to follow these safety measures. December has been filled with whispers of another lockdown. Each week is undetermined... our small business future is unclear because of this. With another lockdown with the current framework would close down Hair Salons and Gym.

Recently I placed a call to Fords office and was encouraged to start up a petition that calls for Small Businesses to stay open... the same way large corporations are allowed to stay open. 

We are a licensed trade that paid and studied about the importance of proper sanitation. Again, we value our customers and value our right to work and have continued to do so SAFELY. We respect COVID-19 and it’s seriousness. Every salon has Doctors, Nurses and various health care front line-essential workers that have praised our efforts and highlighted how safe they feel. 

Furthermore, On behalf of all the hard working stylist (and other small businesses that will be hit hard). I am asking for a reframing on how a lockdown will look this time around. I am asking and pleading for Justin Trudeau, Doug Ford and the Ontario Government to keep us open and working SAFELY during a lockdown. Our work IS ESSENTIAL TO US AND OUR CLIENTS. We will continue to enforce strict cleaning schedules and strict mask mandate upon entry! 

... with the holiday season in mind and seasonal depression at stake. I gently remind that there are a lot of Canadians suffering from this virus whether they have it or NOT. People who are not reunited with their partners and family (like myself), People who can not properly say goodbye to their dying loved ones, Babies being born without a full family to welcome them, People who are being let go from the careers and much more. 

As much as this will be financial ruin for many this will also be an emotional ruin. 

I am trusting the people that need to see this will and hopefully will make an informative decision. Allow us to continue working safely and allow us to financially SURVIVE. We need this. 

Please sign this petition and support your local small business and your hard working Hair Stylists.

SIGN AND SHARE ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. Be sure to tag and add DOUG FORD AND JUSTIN TRUDEAU when you share. 

A blanket shutdown is NOT the answer.