George Chronopoulos started cutting hair when he was just 14 years old, and during his 71-year career he has sheared the locks of Hollywood royalty and the city’s business elite.
The 85-year-old, who came to Canada from Greece as a young man, had to take a break after his salon closed in March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
He says the time away from work made him a “bit crazy.” His free time was spent walking; he says he covered about 171 kilometres last month.
On Tuesday, he finally returned to his barber chair at Vancouver’s Jason David Hair Studio, a salon that looks substantially different than it did prior to the pandemic.
Every station is now two metres apart and clients are being asked to wear a mask. A contact-tracing form also needs to be filled out.
Chronopoulos’ first haircut was with a client who has been with him since the 1960s.
He said his first day back gave him an “injection of hope” that he may be able to put in another five to seven years on the job.