Shoptalk

Starting on May 27, Marvin Upshaw was bombarded with phone calls. The owner and head barber at Ascension Barbershop began taking bookings as soon as Premier McNeil and Dr. Strang announced the re-opening, scheduling appointments starting June 5.

“Our clients have been nothing but supportive, always contacting us saying, ‘Book me in ahead, I’m waiting for a cut.’ Obviously they’re pretty long overdue,” Upshaw tells The Coast.

After being closed for the better part of three months, the team at Ascension’s two locations—in Lower Sackville and Wolfville—were ready to re-open.

“All the barbers seemed quite excited. It was almost like a resurgence, an energetic feel,” Upshaw says. Ascension’s third location at Dalhousie University hasn’t re-opened yet since no students are on campus.

Between the announcement and the re-opening, Upshaw says he read up on the rules from the Barber’s Association of Nova Scotia, which include both customers and barbers wearing masks, and not taking walk-in appointments.

“It actually assisted in stepping our game up, organization-wise,” Upshaw says. The owner says he didn’t feel rushed and had plenty of time to re-arrange the shop to allow for social distancing. “Prior to [re-opening] I ordered Plexiglass for in-between stations, proper disinfectant, new tools,” he says.

The five barbers in Sackville and three in Wolfville also need to space out their appointments to allow enough time to clean workstations in between. (The regulations require 15 minutes between appointments.)

“It’s just enough time for you to be able to see who your next appointment is, do sanitation, provide the best service for your client,” says Upshaw.

Slowly, the barbers are getting through the list of overdue appointments and everyone is adjusting to the new way of doing things.

“It’s just our responsibility to sort of help the client adjust to a new way of booking, but once they get into it they seem to like it,” says Upshaw.

In downtown Halifax, Thumpers Salon owner Malcolm Norton says he made it through the shut-down by shifting the focus to his online store.

“We have a major online shop. I set this up seven years ago,” he says. At the time, his associates didn’t think it would fare well.

“People said to me, ‘Who’s buying shampoo online, Malcolm?” he laughs. But it paid off during the past few months: “We were one of the few salons in Canada that had an online shop, and we have exclusive lines,” Norton says.

Although Thumpers’ 12 stylists were laid off temporarily, Norton has brought them all back since the re-opening.

“We opened the morning of June 5 and we’ve been very busy, we’ve been booked solid. We’re booked solid for weeks ahead, too,” he tells The Coast.

The South Park Street salon usually has 22 chairs, allowing clients to move from one station to the next as they go from cut to colour to styling throughout their appointment. “We let eight chairs go, taken them out of the shop to give more space for physical distancing, and it’s actually working pretty well,” says Norton.

The salon and spa industry are regulated by the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia, which released similar regulations for re-opening. Norton says all salons are required to have membership, and the association is one of the few governing bodies that exist for the industry across the country.

“There’s only three left in Canada, the rest all went by the wayside years ago. So it’s just P.E.I., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. he says. “And our guys were wonderful, they got us all the regulations from Dr. Strang and it’s been very good.”

Thumpers has put screens around their reception desk and has a limited number of two clients in the waiting room. Although it is interfering with walk-ins, Norton says the salon is finally getting into a rhythm: “I think as things have gone on it’s kind of become second-nature now,” he says.

Stylist Steph McNair says business at her shop, Maneland-Non Binary Beauty, has definitely been up since re-opening. “I’ve definitely had a large increase in customers, and probably about 25 percent new people,” McNair says.

Though she's the sole hairdresser at her Queen Street shop, McNair has taken on a new employee to help with admin work and ensuring new protocols. 

“I took on an employee or a person to basically help me kind of keep the cleaning and disinfecting and the vibe of the salon flow,” she says. “So I have somebody that’s going along in between and making sure that that is all done, and so I can just focus on the guest and the haircut.”

Maneland only opened last year, but COVID-19 hasn’t taken the wind out of McNair's sails. She was ready to open right away on June 5 when the regulations allowed.

“I was, throughout the couple of months that I was closed, laying low, but watching and kind of paying attention to other salons around here but also in the States and stuff,” she says.

Upon re-opening, McNair says she’s gotten to have some fun with the shaggy styles that clients have grown out in isolation.

“Some are just working with the length that they’ve grown, some people are interested in what is happening on their head. Some people just kind of want to have it off,” she says.

Other clients have also had to change their hairstyles based on their new normal. “The masks are all different, and I have to cut some bangs a little bit shorter because of not being able to see as well with a mask on,” says McNair.

The pandemic has prevented a lot of things, but it hasn’t stopped time from moving forward. People are still celebrating marriages, birthdays, anniversaries, and welcoming new life into the world.

Handmade cards are one of the most sincere and affordable ways to let someone know you’re thinking of them—and one Dartmouth shop has been making its cards available even while it's closed by COVID.

“When the pandemic hit and we had to shut down, it was just like a bomb had gone off. We didn’t know what we were going to do,” says Sam Holt, co-owner of Kept Shop on King Street.

“We spent some time just talking it out and I guess I just wanted to answer the question of like, How can we bring Kept to our customers and to Halifax? How can we still make sales but not in a social setting?” he says.

Since 2013, Kept Shop has offered home décor and giftwares that range from elegant mugs and floral tea towels to children’s bibs, blankets and books. Holt, who owns the store with his wife Charlotte Jewer, says they spend a lot of time curating and selecting items that they’d want in their own home.

“It’s a seven-day-a-week job, we’re just constantly always sort of seeing what’s out there,” he says. “It’s got to be great quality. It’s not worth selling stuff that you wouldn’t want to have yourself.”

One part of the store that’s always drawn customers is the greeting card wall. “People love to come in and go to the card wall and take anywhere from two minutes to 20 minutes picking out cards for all the occasions,” Holt tells The Coast.

Holt—who has a background in design—was trying to think of ways to use technology and even artificial intelligence when he realized what he needed wasn't a new invention: It was a simple, old-fashioned vending machine.

“There’s a vending machine that already exists that, would perfectly fit greeting cards. So I researched some of the companies and I got in touch with a guy,” he said.

As it turned out, the vending machine company was having similar problems with sales dropping as public spaces weren’t being used as heavily. 

“All the places that he had his vending machines, people weren’t going. Hotels, university campuses. There was a big hole in his business, so he was keen to give it a try and really helpful,” Holt says.

Each card is $7 and the machine accepts coins only. Some are from local artists, including Halifax Paper Hearts and Kate Mitchell, while others are from Canadian or international artists.

The first vending machine was placed in Alderney Landing in early May, which coincided perfectly with Mother’s Day. A second machine was installed in Scotia Square last week, and Holt is hoping that with Father’s Day around the corner, the coming weeks will be just as successful.

“Everyone needs a Mother’s Day card, so we sold out of those. So this’ll be the next event,” he says.

Although the machine isn’t perfect—it’s old, sometimes it won’t accept certain coins—Holt says it’s a great opportunity to get the word out about Kept Shop and for people to get greeting cards without having to go into a store.

“We just wanted to maintain and have our brand still out there," he says. "Still let people know that we were there and we were there for them.” 

For more than 20 years, The Last Word Bookstore on Windsor Street has provided stocked shelves for newcomers, north-enders, and bibliophiles alike.

“Lots of students, lots of regulars. they’d sort of just come in, plop down and they’d be there for eight hours,” says Nate Crawford, who used to work at the store about 10 years ago.

In those days, the second-hand store had the very same laid-back vibe: “It was super casual. I worked Sundays, I lived on Moran street so I just would wander down here, sort of settle in,” Crawford says.

Crawford was one of several curious passersby found peering in the windows of the storefront on a Monday, after owner Wayne Greene put up a sign announcing the store would close.

“Wayne is like the O.G. classic Canadian bookseller,” Crawford tells The Coast. "He knows so much about literature, Canadian literature, special topics. He can talk a blue streak, he’s that kind of business person that is just sort of disappearing.”

Over the years, Crawford says the owner has become known for making small talk with anyone who comes through, and for his ability to know which books he had in stock, and exactly where they were amongst the piles of novels that filled The Last Word from floor to ceiling.

“I asked him about one of my favourite books is called The Art of Racing in The Rain. He didn’t have it, but he knew about it. He just knows books, he knew exactly what I was talking about,” says Brie-anna Bartlett, who’s lived in the apartment above the bookstore since last fall.

Bartlett says she’s also sad to see the store go, as one of Halifax’s few remaining used bookstores. “I don’t think he did this for the money, he did it for the love,” she says.

Across social media, other Haligonians poured out their support for The Last Word and the unique charm of second-hand bookstores.

"I just love how the owner knew EVERY book in the shop, without needing to look it up in a database." - thenoblejobull, Instagram

"Every morning I left the house he would be sweeping the sidewalk. He cared for that place."
- kayrauch, Instagram

Wayne is one hec of an interesting guy!
Anytime I went in we’d always chat about the latest book he’s reading, or series we liked.
If I was missing a book in a series, and it came in he’d hold it for me.

I’m simply heartbroken over this.
Windsor st will be darker without him.

— Shannon Dawn (@Sarradis) May 26, 2020

I remember going into the the bookstore and finding a title that I was really interested in, and Wayne immediately told me about the author, and found a beautiful edition of another book by the same author to give me.

I also loved all of his recommendations in the window

— Lauren Bryant-Monk (@jl_nicegirl) May 26, 2020

I was always looking for discworld novels and he would let me know if they had them or not when I walked in! He also dug through the stacks once to make sure I had a matching set of LOTR and loved to talk about Tolkien and his friendship with CS Lewis.

— paisley conrad (@weather_letter) May 26, 2020

Wayne always knew if he had a book and where it was without any (apparent) systematized or digitized inventory... very impressive

— Violet Pask (@violetpask) May 26, 2020

Wayne is the most generous person. when i stopped by, i picked out a few books and he gave me The Reprieve and also Iron in the Soul by Sartre (which i had picked out along with other books that i had purchased) for free and refused to let me pay for the two of them

— iz (@izvoid) May 26, 2020

I miss Dust Jacket which is also gone. The staff’s ability to locate a book was unbelievable. My best score there was an autographed copy of ‘Burden of Desire’ by Robert MacNeill.

— Carol Dobson (@cjdobsonpei) May 26, 2020

Window recommendations were top notch! Bought several David Adams Richards books there. ALL excellent!!!! This place will be missed by our neighbourhood. It is so sad. Stop ordering from Amazon people! It is killing our city.

— Jennifer Fox (@harlickjen) May 27, 2020

I've been gleaning discarded books from student neighborhoods since I first moved to Halifax. I know what Wayne buys and he knows what I buy. I've had him call me from across the street "Hey! You like Raymond Chandler! Check out this edition! Look at the condition its in!"

— William Vulgaris (@VulgarisWilliam) May 26, 2020

If you've recently been on Halifax Kijiji you may have seen this odd listing: "Gold imported toilets 4 left!!!"

The popular ad, which was recently removed from the website, displayed a white-and-gold, floral-patterned throne—a far cry from the stark white pots us lowly peasants are wont to piss in.

Each toilet, according to the seller, is valued at $1,200 regular price, comes with "wax ring, flush," is in an unopened box and is "extremely rare." But, a Google search for "gold toilets" reveals these lustrous loos may not be as "rare"—or expensive—as the ad suggested.

On Alibaba.com, identical fancy flushers can be yours for $85 to $220 USD ($113-$294 CAD), a fraction of the Kijiji asking price. According to the website, the dual-flushing toilets are manufactured in China by Foshan Haiyijia Co., Ltd. and are only gold-painted ceramic—not real gold. If you were excited about giving your butt a real gold crown, think again.

Gazing at the toilet (pictured, right) long enough, you might think, wait, I've seen these before. That's because identical toilets are installed at Garden Food Bar & Lounge on Clyde Street downtown. It's there that you can try the full, luxury experience—sort of. The shiny, gold seats are actually made of hard, gold-coloured plastic. And like most public washrooms, they're in need of a clean.

If you're looking for a real, solid-gold toilet, you're shit out of luck. Actual gold toilets are reserved for the elite. Consider "America," an 18-karat, fully-functioning, solid-gold toilet installation by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, which was stolen last year from Britain's Blenheim Palace (Winston Churchill's birthplace).

Sadly, many of us can't live like Churchill—or anywhere in HRM for that matter (see: one percent rental-vacancy rate). But if you want to spice up your drab bathroom, or you want to give yourself a false sense of wealth and importance, these faux-gold toilets may be the answer.

Filmmaker Phyllis Ellis hopes to send you scrambling to the shower to search out labels on your soap and shampoo. After all, her eye-opening documentary Toxic Beauty (trailer below; streaming now on CBC Gem) not only follows the class-action suit against Johnson & Johnson—and the company's cancer-linked baby powder—but Ellis also uncovers an unregulated amalgam of alarming toxicity in many over-the-counter personal-care products.

"I don't think the onus should be on the consumer to decipher a label with a word that has 750 letters," says the filmmaker. "I do think, keep it simple."

Here, we round up some of the worst offenders in your morning routine and drop local, non-toxic alternatives worth considering.

Shampoo

May contain: formaldehyde (DMDM Hydantoin), endocrine disruptors
Linked to: allergies, depression, cancer

"If you look on a label and see the word 'fragrance' or 'parfum,' don't use it," insists Ellis of most shampoos. "Fragrance in a product is proprietary so the company that makes that brand does not have to disclose what's in that word (which) can contain 200 to 1,000 chemicals."

That means the best way to make all days good hair days is to switch to a shampoo bar, like the Daytona Shampoo Bar available through eco-beauty and zero-waste haven The Tare Shop (5539 Cornwallis Street). The Daytona bar is SLS-, paraben- and phthalate-free and gets your 'do clean without stripping it of its natural oils.

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Deodorant

May contain: endocrine disruptors, formaldehyde
Linked to: reproductive issues, tumours, hormone disruption

"When we had the film screen in London, [breast cancer researcher] doctor Philippa Darbre told the audience 'I would not let anyone I love use deodorant,'" says Ellis.

Maybe it's time to give your drug store tube a break and go for an aluminum- and phthalate-free option, like Earth Elements Natural Deodorant. The company, a Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market staple, is big into proving clean and green aren't in opposition, with an extensive range of body powder, soaps and home cleaning agents stocked alongside deodorant in scents like lemon grass and French lavender.

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Nail polish

May contain: toluene, acetone
Linked to: dermatitis, lung disorders, miscarriage

Toluene "is linked to birth defects and all kinds of problems," says Ellis. "Anything that adheres for an extended period of time can't be awesome."

Water-based polish has long been the secret to a fresh mani amongst the hippie set, but formula improvements mean natural polish has more staying power than you'd think. Score a perfect 10 with options free of ethyl acetate, butyl acetate and acetone, like Acquarella nail polish. Find it at the natural-focused spa Bradshaw Pure Esthetics (1556 Queen Street) which, FYI, is a space that's also stocked with 100 percent organic facial masks and serums made in-house.

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Face cream

May contain: endocrine disruptors, mercury, coal tar
Linked to: cognitive dysfunction, tremors, insomnia

"Anything that lightens your skin has mercury," says Ellis. "And a lot of eye products have coal tar."

Make sure you're keeping your complexion safe by opting for a plant-based option, like Osha Mae's carrot cream. Derived from carrot seed and brimming with essential oils, it's a skin softener that'll still help address aging skin concerns thanks to heavyweight ingredients like argan oil and squalene—ingredients that made skincare giant The Ordinary Company go viral. Hit up Osha Mae at the Seaport Market.

The Braid Couture Art Show
Feb 15, 8pm
Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen Street
braidcoutureshow.com
$35-$45

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From ombré hair to pastel colours, hair trends come and go. But braids, from cornrows to the French variety, have long been a hairstyle staple across cultures.

Tara Lynn Taylor is organizer of the Braid Couture Art Show, happening this Saturday at the Bus Stop Theatre, and she wants to broaden everyone's understanding of braiding and textured haircare. "It's for us," she says of the event, "but it's also for non-Black people, so they can see we have our own versatility, we don't need to look like them."

She hopes the event will shed light on the intricate details of textured hair, such as the importance of understanding porosity and density. "There's a science to it," says Taylor. "My products are designed in a way that takes the guesswork out of it."

Taylor is also the owner of Carmalina Naturals, a Halifax-based company that sells natural-haircare products. Along with P3 Hair and Beauty Supplies, she'll be selling natural haircare products in the venue lobby.

Hair stylist and creator of Braids By Tasha, Natasha Stephenson, will be braiding on Saturday night along with with her 12-year-old daughter, Na'siya. Stephenson believes the event will encourage people to get educated about different types of hair and hairstyles.

Stephenson says she'd like the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia to place more emphasis on braiding. "It's not only Black folk that can braid," she says. "There's white people, there's Asian people that may want to learn or already know how to do it. Taylor even points out that white parents of bi-racial children may benefit from better understanding how to care for their kids' hair.

This show will also showcase local fashion designers, such as clothing by Hilary Taylor Sears, Hologram Designs and purses and bags by Jaziel Ugbebor. There will also be theatrical, musical and dance performances.

LOCAL By Local Girl
To Feb 8
Anna Leonowens Gallery, 1891 Granville Street

W hat does "local" mean, anyway? NSCAD student Anita Joh's artistic persona (and "conceptual brand") LOCAL by Local Girl is an attempt to dig into that question through a series of pop-ups, installations and social-media engagements. The brand includes everyday functional objects, from wearable art pieces like t-shirts and bags to printed matter and book arts.

An institutional setting is new for Joh, however. That makes her grad exhibit, running until Saturday at the Anna Leonowens Gallery, a new experience: "I'm bringing it to the gallery space, which creates a different context," she says. "Everything else has been me popping up in an urban space that I found myself." (Explaining the streetwear vibes that permeate Joh's work.)

The exhibit involves taking gallery posters and invitations, turning them into art pieces themselves. The result? A deeply instagrammable aesthetic that's slick as lipgloss, with Joh sharing a micro-collection that carries an Off-White energy and features mini handbags that read like an edgier take on trendy French designer Jacquemus' micro-accessory.

It is, alongside being a breakdown on what local connections means, a reminder that high fashion and high art have always been RSVPing yes to the same party.

Originally from Vancouver, Joh has lived in Halifax for four years. She associates home with experience, people, community and connections. "You can be local to many places at once, it is okay to bend and adapt that definition to whatever works for you. We all want a sense of belonging and a home but that doesn't have to be geographical or physical, it can be found emotionally and mentally through people," she says.