Killarney Guide

Cautious reopening also includes retail business, plus expanded personal connections

BY KIM LANGEN

Shears and razors are flying in salons and barbershops throughout the area.

This flurry of flying locks and buzzing cuts follows last week’s announcement by the premier and the chief provincial health officer that modest changes, including the restoration of some services and activities for Manitobans, would take effect on January 23 for three weeks.

“On Saturday the stylists were busy throughout the day,” said Jacqueline Dickson, who operates the Mary Ann Moore Wellness Centre on South Railway. “The girls all kept their customer logs, and they were the first ones to be contacted for appointments. What did people miss most? Really, it’s the haircuts. Most people are willing to get just a haircut now. Some of them are waiting for colour service, although we are doing colour too. Most of the stylists are booked right now until March 1.”

Like other salons, the Wellness Centre can only allow 25 per cent of their normal clientele numbers inside the building at one time.

“That’s nine customers at a time,” said Dickson.

Barbershops and hair stylists must also exercise adequate physical distancing, and collect information for contact tracing purposes, said the government.

During these past two months of pandemic restrictions and inactivity, Dickson took advantage of the opportunity to update her facilities with a number of lovely new service areas, and a more open layout for customers.

“We completely repainted the whole building,” she said. “We changed the salon from chocolate brown to a light ‘graige,’ a gray-beige. It’s fresher and lighter. We just finished the work on Monday. My husband Harley did the work.

During the recent pandemic restrictions, the Wellness Centre was still able to continue to provide the public with foot nurse care, and the services of registered massage therapists. 

Estheticians and nail techs are still restricted, however, and the swimming pool will remain closed. The float cabin, as it happened, was back open for business, she added, with an occupant currently in the euphoric float position on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, over in the Killarney Place mall, the doors finally swung open at Gwen’s Trends on the day restrictions lifted. And the shop’s popular post-Christmas sale had taken a new twist, said the owner.

“We had around 20 people on Saturday,” said Gwen Tripp. “Our annual winter sidewalk sale is inside this year, not outside. We started it on Saturday, and it will run until the end of February. We haven’t been open since mid-November. I don’t know how long it will be open now, but at least customers can shop while they can. I think people are a little nervous of shopping still.”

Sherry Reimer over at Community Florist re-opened on Monday, and had just received a shipment of beautiful and uplifting fresh flowers on Tuesday, she said. 

Customers had mostly been purchasing winter items, but the next patron who entered her open doorway was immediately drawn to purchase a bunch of the verdant and gorgeous blooms.

The government also announced that household limits were now expanded, and currently include the permission for two designated people, “the rule of two,” to visit a household. Up to five people can now meet outdoors, plus members of a family, on an outdoor private property. And funerals can now have up to 10 people, in addition to the officiant, under clear COVID-19 protection protocols.

And the ‘essential items’ list has been eliminated, allowing all stores to open for the sale of their products, provided they maintain physical distancing, and the 25 per cent capacity, or a maximum of 250 people, whichever is lower. 

BACK IN THE SADDLE – Stylist Sheila Heaphy (left) and Brenda Shiels (right) were busy on Tuesday making their clients look great again at the Mary Ann Moore Wellness Centre. Restrictions were eased on Saturday by the provincial government, allowing hairdressers and barbers to finally get back to work.

Opening back up in Killarney Place

STORES ARE OPEN AND SALES ARE ON – Gwen’s Trends in Killarney Place mall is finally open for personal shopping, with a big winter sale on now and running until the end of February. Other retailers have opened too, all with 25 per cent capacity limits, after restrictions eased on Saturday. Shoes & M’Orr (below) are also having a big sale (see ad on page 5 of this week’s Guide) and want to remind everybody “We Are Open!”

KIM LANGEN/KILLARNEY GUIDE PHOTOS

HOME FURNISHINGS ARE HOT – Owners Jason and Krista Maurice took a breather on a rather handsome and comfortable sectional sofa on Wednesday over at Maurice’s Home Furnishings. Their mall store is open again, and there is even a furniture sale on right now (see ad on page 2 of this week’s Guide).

GREAT NEW CHILDREN’S BOOKS – Marilyn Hamilton just laid out a whole new section of wonderful children’s books at her newly re-opened Trinkets and Treasures shop in the Killarney Place mall. And The Cat in the Hat is back too…all the way from 1957…!

JAY STRUTH/KILLARNEY GUIDE PHOTOS