White Rock barber Moe Toufic who lost shop in fire finds new home at swanky salon

White Rock barber Moe Toufic was left with no way of earning a living after he lost his business in a devastating fire that displaced more than 100 residents on May 15.

But the barber is back on his feet, thanks to the owners of Sin 7 Salon — a business that attracts mostly women looking for a high-end haircut, styling or colouring. 

"It's the best option for me now. It is close to my shop. It's a nice shop and it's in the same area that I am," he said

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Neighbours come together

Toufic and the owners used to be neighbours, but the hair salon recently moved to its new location across the street and were safe from the flames.

"It very nearly well was us. If we hadn't moved a year and half ago, it would've been us," said Katherine Ross, owner of Sin 7 Salon. 

Ross said, being in the same business, she knows that client relationships are very important. If Toufic had to wait a year until his shop was ready again, he would have lost everything he spent the last seven years working towards.

"If you don't have anywhere to service your clients for nine months or a year ... you're done," she said. 

The owners of Sin 7 Salon are renting one of their salon's chairs to Toufic for $400 a month and gave him his own little corner and doorway to welcome clients. 

"Moe is just a great guy and we were happy to just be able to help him out," she said. 

The arrangement has made for an unusual mix of clientele, with ladies at one side of the swanky salon and older gentlemen waiting for a cut at the other. 

Mixed clientele

Most of the Toufic's clients don't mind, as long as they get their haircut by him. But others have told him they miss the old shop.

"Everyone is different. When the man goes to the barber, he prefer to sit down in a barber chair," he said. 

Toufic said some of his clients still don't know about his new location. 

"Even now I lose some customer, because some people calling the [old] shop — they don't know that there was a fire," he said. 

Toufic is beyond grateful for the kindness of the salon's owners and is glad to be back on his feet again. 

"Nice people here and it's nice working with them, everyone is nice," he said. 

Ross said it has been nothing but a positive experience to host him at her salon. 

"Some of our newer stylists have been watching him, learning, picking up some barbering techniques. There's really been no downside to it. It has been really lovely having him here," she said.