I needed a haircut.
Relax. You haven’t stumbled across my Tumblr page where I describe the minutiae of my daily life in agonizing detail. I’m going to make a larger point. Probably. Maybe. Let’s see where this goes.
I haven’t trimmed my hair since I arrived in Yorkton. Now, my hair grows pretty slow and short, so I wasn’t worried. Whenever I had free time, I’d finesse the follicles.
This past Saturday, I had some free time. I crossed a few items on my to-do list and after I caught myself in the mirror, I decided to get a haircut.
I went to the nearest barber on Broadway Street. I didn’t think I needed an appointment; I could just walk in and get a trim. They told me they were going to close in an hour and they were booked solid until then There are a ton of other babrbers in town, so I hit the road and kept my eyes peeled for those signature red-and-white poles.
One barber shop I found was already closed for the day. Another one was booked solid for the next hour (after which it would close). By the time I reached the end of Broadway Street, I had visited half a dozen hair salons. They were all either closed or filled up until closing time. It was 4 p.m. and I had nowhere to go for a haircut.
Back in Halifax, I’m used to a lot of stores staying open past sunset on the weekend. Shops will keep the midnight oil burning in hopes of reeling in wandering customers.
But in Yorkton, aside from the chain stores like Wal Mart, a lot of shops lock their doors before well before dinner on the weekend.
I think it boils down to a difference in geography and sensibility. Halifax is tightly packed in. Most people get around on foot or by bus. Window shopping and foot traffic are big sales drivers. Stores stay open later because of all the people walking downtown.
Yorkton is more spread out. The downtown is great to walk in, but most people have to drive or bus to get there. I could be missing something, but I don’t see many people downtown at night. Stores stay open during peak hours, which is when the sun’s out.
Halifax is a major Canadian city. It’s not exactly Toronto, but it’s got a decent amount of tall buildings. Modern cities seem to be awake 24/7. There’s no pause or break in the rat race. Everything has to be running all the time. In the Internet age, cities can’t stop.
Halifax is no exception. It’s filled with 400,000 people. That’s a lot of open wallets for businesses. Stores stay open because the culture demands it.
Yorkton is more relaxed. There’s a deliberate pace. People take time to unwind. There’s not a constant pressure to go, go, go. Our stores reflect that. They’re not open until midnight because they don’t have to be.
I can respect that attitude, even if my unruly hair doesn’t.
