In Ontario, barbers are being forced to hold hairstyling licenses — even though our craft is completely different.

We don’t color, don’t perm, and don’t use chemicals. Our work focuses on precision cuts, fades, shaves, and grooming — not chemical services.

So why are barbers required to meet the same licensing standards as hairstylists when our skill sets, tools, and services are entirely separate?

Across the United States and many other regions, barbering and hairstyling are recognized as distinct trades, each with its own license and set of regulations. Ontario is falling behind by grouping both under one category — and it’s costing barbers time, money, and opportunities for fair employment.

This petition calls on Skilled Trades Ontario and the Government of Ontario to:

Recognize barbering as a separate licensed trade, independent from hairstyling.

Develop a barbering-specific certification path that reflects what we actually do.

Support small business owners and barbers across the province by removing unnecessary barriers to work.

Barbers are professionals. We take pride in our craft and our communities — we just want fair treatment and a license that fits our trade.

✊ Sign this petition to help bring common sense back to the chair — and let barbers be barbers.