After 21 years in the community, Hair on Earth unexpectedly shut its doors Nov. 12, leaving its three hairstylists out of work.
鈥淲e knew something was happening鈥攖hey were starting to be late on our pay and they were late with a lot of orders,鈥� said former Hair on Earth stylist Cara Zazelenchuk.
鈥淏ut we didn鈥檛 know it was just going to close overnight.鈥�
On the evening of Nov. 12, Zazelenchuk said she was at a restaurant in Hinton when she ran into the salon鈥檚 principle owner, Chris Burchett, who took over the business nearly two years ago, but lives in Edmonton.
鈥淚 was surprised to see him so I asked him what was going on.鈥�
Zazelenchuk said Burchett replied by saying he was heading to Jasper to shut down the salon.
鈥淚 was a little in shock so I asked him if he meant Hair on Earth鈥攊f he was going to shut down our salon,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e said he was on his way right now to haul everything out and that he was planning to call us when he got there.鈥�
Zazelenchuk immediately called her co-workers Brooke Froland and Heather Argueta.
Practically speechless and with more questions than answers, the three stylists watched as their place of employment was packed up and hauled away in a moving truck.
鈥淚 guess they were having problems with the bank, and the bank was going to roll in and shut the salon down, but Chris didn鈥檛 want that to happen so he came down here with a moving crew and did it himself,鈥� Zazelenchuk said. 鈥淏ut after I had flipped out at him he told me that being detached was the only way he could deal with this.
鈥淏ut for us鈥擨 mean, I鈥檝e been there for six years and Brooke has been there for nine years, it was very hard to watch them come in very emotionless and unsympathetic.鈥�
The following day, Burchett stuck a note on the salon鈥檚 main door on Patricia Street, informing the public that Hair on Earth was permanently closed 鈥渄ue to NDP policy changes.鈥�
When the 51暗网 asked Burchette what the sign meant, he said he would write 鈥渁 nice piece over the weekend.鈥� By Monday, Nov. 21, he had yet to reply and did not respond to further requests for comment.
The sign was shortly removed after it was put up.
鈥淚 think he meant the recession in Alberta hurt businesses, but I sent him a message asking to elaborate on these NDP policies and how they affect our fully booked salon in this recession-free town,鈥� Zazelenchuk said. 鈥淲e were all commission-based and we paid our own wages so it didn鈥檛 really impact us.
鈥淚 think they were just having financial difficulties in general and I think they saw the salon as a bit more of an investment than what they were able to get back from it in a year-and-a-half.鈥�
According to Zazelenchuk, she and her co-workers were almost completely booked until January, leaving them with tons of appointments, but nowhere to work.
Argueta quickly crafted a plan. She had been planning to leave Hair on Earth in January for another local salon, Trademark Hair Company. She contacted Trademark鈥檚 owners, Kristen Robinson and Kris Haslett, and not only asked if she could start right away, but if the salon could accommodate two other stylists.
鈥淲e were a team and we didn鈥檛 want to go and work in different places and then be in competition with each other,鈥� Zazelenchuk said. 鈥淏rooke and I didn鈥檛 know what to do so Heather took control and was like 鈥榟ere鈥檚 my plan and it can be yours too鈥�.鈥�
Without hesitation, Robinson and Haslett agreed to Argueta鈥檚 proposal.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always been very friendly with Hair on Earth. We would send clients to them and vice-versa. Even though we were separate businesses we always supported each other and we were shocked when we heard the news,鈥� said Robinson, adding that she and Haslett have been friends with Argueta for many years.
鈥淭hey are great girls and great stylists so we鈥檙e not going to let them be on the streets.鈥�
All three of Hair on Earth鈥檚 former employees were invited to work at Trademark, but due to family reasons, Froland will be spending some time in Edmonton.
鈥淚 know Heather is here permanently, but if Cara and Brooke want to stay here then they all have jobs with us,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淲e live in a small community, but there鈥檚 plenty of hair growing and plenty of business to go around so there鈥檚 no need to be competitive.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all comrades.鈥�
Zazelenchuk and Argueta started at Trademark just two days after Hair on Earth closed.
鈥淚t was emotional on us, but it鈥檚 kind of been a blessing in disguise. Business is carrying on as usual and the staff at Trademark are incredible,鈥� Zazelenchuk said. 鈥淚 know a lot of people think (Hair on Earth鈥檚) owners are assholes for doing this, but they were having troubles and they thought this was the best solution and that was tough, but Chris has been very apologetic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting along just fine.鈥�
Kayla Byrne
[email protected]
