A barber planning to do outdoor haircuts says the province cut his plans short.

Earlier this week, Jeremy Regan, the owner of Winnipeg barbershop Hunter & Gunn, learned that outdoor gatherings were allowed and decided to cut hair on people's lawns. After receiving a lot of traction, his plans have been cancelled. 

"So unfortunately I got quite a threatening call from public health and I can no longer pursue my dream of paying my mortgage. I will still take up all the offers to come to have a beer with all my great clients in the next couple of weeks though Lord knows I need it. My apologies to all who reached out," Hunter & Gunn writes on Twitter.

Clients have reached out to still pay for the cuts, but they are asking people to redirect that money to Mama Bear Clan.

 

Earlier:

A local barber who is missing his regulars is hoping to help people shed their long locks on their lawns.

Jeremy Regan, the owner of Winnipeg barbershop Hunter & Gunn, has been cutting hair for more than two decades but this year of lockdowns has been the hardest of them all.

"I am just trying to be creative and I am at my wits' end. I've got my vaccine, I've followed everything that we were supposed to follow, and unfortunately on this lockdown, the financial backing from the government is not there," Regan says. "It's incredibly frustrating, there is no doubt about it."

On Wednesday afternoon, Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer announced outdoor gatherings of up to five people could occur. After hearing this, Regan decided this might be his way back to the clippers. The barber took to Twitter, offering haircuts in yards.

"What is the difference if I am sitting with them in their yard or if we are both wearing masks and I am cutting their hair? I don't see the difference. I am probably pushing it a little bit much, and not giving out too many details," Regan says. "As far as the health orders go, I have read them and I can't see how what I would be doing would be not right."

When asked if personal services were allowed to occur outdoors, a spokesperson from the province said "as per the news release backgrounder, personal services are closed and remain closed." The Public Health Orders say "a business or facility that is required to be closed under these Orders may continue to provide goods or services online, by telephone or other remote means."

Closing his doors for seven of the last 14 months has been difficult on the barber emotionally and financially.

"It has just been very frustrating. You are on board for the first one, you're sort of forced into the second shut down, and then this third one, we have has seven months of proof that we could be a very safe business. They don't give us any sort of information about how service businesses have transmitted the virus."

He says even with limited supports, he has lost close to two-thirds of his total income, which is pressing on the father of two. 

"I have a mortgage, I have kids, I have car payments just like everyone else does. Until your job is taken away from you, you really can't say how you are going to react to it."

He says some in the industry have been vocal about this, but now, Regan is joining in.

"I am trying to be a little bit of a voice in it, maybe get a little bit of attention because it doesn't seem like any of our questions are ever answered."

Regan held a one-person protest in front of the Manitoba Legislative Building protesting the differences in restrictions between small businesses and big-box stores in the fall. 

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