For Jean-Pierre Pigeon, cutting and styling hair is more than just a job.
“It keeps me young,” Pigeon laughed. “My only problem is I have to paint my grey hairs sometimes.”
The 77-year-old has been working at Salon Liquide, a Beaconsfield hair salon, since it opened in 1957.
During that time, he says not much has changed. He still cuts, styles and colours hair in the same spot, with the same schedule.
“I’m here at a quarter to 8 in the morning, until 6, 6:30 p.m., five days a week,” said Pigeon. “I don’t count the hours.”
“I’m lucky because I don’t have back or leg problems, so I keep going.”
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Which is a big relief to his clientele, some of whom have been coming to see Pigeon for decades.
“I have been coming here since 1962,” said Marion Foster.
Relationships that he’s forged with those like Foster is one of the reasons why he continues to work.
“We get attached to the people – they know my stories about my children, grandchildren and I know about them,” he said.
Throughout the years, much of his clientele has stayed the same, but Pigeon says he’s witnessed a lot of other changes.
“Things have changed.”
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As of this year, Pigeon has been working as a hairdresser for 60 years, and his son says he has no plans to cut back.
“He did 60 years of work and now, he only has 40 years remaining,” said Dominik Pigeon. “So he’s a little disappointed about timing – but that’s the story of life.”
Pigeon says he’s already looking ahead to his next milestone – 70 years behind the chair.
“People they say, you can work 3 days maybe or something,” he said.
“Well, when I get old I might do such a thing – but not for the moment, I’m too young.”