Premier Doug Ford,

Please open up the Service Industry. We are not the problem, as we follow all the safety protocols that have been put in place. There are approx 30,000 licensed hairstylists in Ontario who are not allowed to work. We are the only trade that is not permitted to work. Electricians, Plumbers, and other Male-Dominated trades can work without restrictions. Hairstylists pay approx. 15 Million dollars in dues to the College of Trades and receive nothing in return. Over 70% of the registered hairstylists are women, many of them are single mothers and entrepreneurs who make sacrifices and have to work long hours to make a living and support their families.

What we do before we service every client.

• We ensure that every person working in our salon has been screened. If they are feeling unwell they are not allowed to come to work. If they have one symptom, they have to get a covid test and if it's negative, then they can return to work.
• We screen every client that walks thru our door.
• We have every client scan and fill out the QR code or fill out the Covid Screening Questionnaire that our local health department has on their website.
• We ensure every client is wearing a medical-grade mask, and if they don't have one we provide it.
• We clean and sanitize all of our tools after each and every service.
• We purchase the proper products to sanitize our tools, from Clippercide to Barbicide.
• Every client receives a clean freshly laundered cape, and we use a clean towel on every client. 
• We sanitize all our chairs and surfaces that our clients touch, including our debit machine terminal.

We have bills to pay, just like you and every other person living in Ontario.

Some small businesses in Ontario did not even qualify for the small business grants and loans, including our own. We have to come up with the money to pay our rent, bills, and staff and figure out how we can stay afloat. Some of us, have incurred 4 closures, while others have been closed for 5 months.

We are not just a Hairstylist, we are a regulated trade. We pay our fees annually yet we can't work. We are trained in not only hair care services, but we are also trained in sanitation. Our Government and Local Health Units require us to have a very strict cleaning and sanitation regiment. We are professionals Premier Ford. We see a limited amount of clients per day, yet a cashier at Walmart can see up to 20 people in 30 minutes. Not only are we stylists, but we are also underpaid Therapists. we make our clients feel good about themselves, we allow them to talk about their problems! We even listen to them cry about their broken marriages, relationships, and even a lost loved one. We give them advice and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. Some of our clients are like family to us. 

Why Premier Ford do you feel like the personal care industry is the problem?  The risk of transmission from a hair salon is lower than a local big box store. We allow 10 people in our shop at any given time, yet I can go to Walmart and shop with 200 strangers. It is estimated that 60% of independent businesses have closed in Ontario due to this pandemic, yet Big Box Stores like Walmart, Canadian Tire, and Loblaws are thriving. How many more businesses have to close or go bankrupt before you realize that you have made mistake after mistake and targeted the wrong businesses? Premier Doug Ford, how is your business doing? Is it Thriving? Have you received any government funding? We are asking to be treated fairly and open us back up and allow us to work.