The History Of
Patrick's Barber Shop

The Craft of Barbering or Tonsorial Arts has been practised for thousands of years in so many societies through the ages in so many varied places. The Craft or today Trade, has evolved and become a staple in many neighbourhoods all over the world.

Patrick Bowman was born into a family of Barbers and hairstylists in the early sixties and grew up in the west end of Toronto called Etobicoke in the village area of Islington. My Dad owned his own shop called George's Barber shop and he cut hair for 45 years on Bloor street just north of Kipling Ave. My Grandfather started his own shop in Toronto just after the first world war in 1925 and served the trade for 52 years at 1652 St.Clair Rd just west of Caledonia.

Dad started with three Barbers in his shop in 1954 with himself, Nick and Tony. After 5 years Tony had an opportunity to open his own shop in the town of Bolton Ontario and Dad needed another Barber to take his place. In 1959 Dad hired Eddy as he had just arrived from war torn Italy, Ed didn't speak much English but enough to understand what customers wanted. In 1962, Nick also got his dream job opportunity to go work for a company called Abu Garcia, a company specializing in fishing gear and hunting apparel. This leaves only Eddy and my Dad to run George's Barber shop for the next 45 years, and so it went on.

I arrived in the Barbers home in 1964 and grew up with my three sisters and brother on a very small road that only had 10 homes built in 1963 by Rex Heslop of Rexdale Ontario. We loved the little dead end road as we could play road hockey and build snow forts where the plow would dump a massive pile for us to tunnel into and have snowball fights!. My Mom worked as a Hairdresser at 'Murrey and Ann's Salon' for many years and I was sometimes babysat at the salon and then would be taken the following week to my Dad's Barber shop.

I grew up with the distinct smell of Perm solution on one side of my nose and Shaving cream on the other. My teen years came and went and in my twenties I went from job to job wondering if I will ever find my place, my career. The last job I worked was as a salesman for a temp agency getting jobs for others to fill and was so sick of that job, one night I found myself at my parents kitchen table and newly married, I was fearful of not being able to stick to a job I would like. I asked my Dad while he was enjoying his meal " so, do you think I could make a good living being a Barber?" and his fork dropped with a loud clink onto his plate and he said "Of course you can, you just have to be early in the morning and you leave when they stop coming!"

I made my decision there and then, I'll give it a try, I have nothing to lose. The following Tuesday I made my way over to speak to the owner and Director of Bruno's Schools of Hair design and met with Mr.John Morrison, a very kind and portly man who had over 38 years in the hair-styling business and owned Bruno's Schools for over 20 years. My question to Mr. Morrison was "Do Barbers and Stylists make a good living?" His answer to me was a confirming "Yes!" I counted out five thousand dollars in cash in front of him which almost made him fall over, and said "when do I start" He put the money in an envelope and said "next month a new class is starting and you'll be on that list!" He proceeded to hand me my receipt and I began learning the following month. I still have my notebook, all my tests, and Milady's standard text book of Hair-styling. Barbering was only taught slightly at the school as you needed to find a shop to apprentice at. After my apprenticeship and working in a few shops to learn shaving and overall hair-cutting.

A Barber shop came up for sale about two blocks away from my Dads shop called Huk's Barber shop on Bloor. My Dad called me and said "Harry Huk died last weekend at his cottage" I said "no kidding, Do you think I should make a move to grab his location and start my own shop?" Dad said "Why not! You got experience, see what happens!"

I opened my first of five locations of Barber shops in 1996 and haven't looked back. After the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic I moved to London and began to work for other Barber shops, to see what it was like to not be the owner. I couldn't seem to find a place where foul language and the smell of weed didn't stink up the shop, or Hip Hop gangster music was so loud I couldn't hear what my customer was saying to me!

That's when I decided it was time to open my own Barber shop in London again called Patrick's Barber shop on Wharncliffe in a really cool part of London Ont called Wortley Village. The people are working folk that are generous and make you feel right at home.

My Partner Stephanie and I are proud to offer Old School Barbering services in our new shop and would invite all to try our service and see the museum of Barber memorabilia covering our walls.

- Patrick Bowman, Barber London Ontario