Jason Gauthier, Barber, and Owner of Straight Edge Barber and Shave Parlour here in Moose Jaw moved to the Friendly City at the end of July.

Gauthier has an interesting past and all of that has shaped him into who he is today. He shared a small piece of his story.

"So basically what happened was I was homeless as a late teen and into my early 20s, and I ended up getting a 9-year prison sentence for 15 armed robberies, and when I got out after doing 5 years I started working for the Salvation Army in 2001. Turned my life around and ended up becoming a counselor, taught myself how to barber while counseling my clients, and this is how I give back."

It has been a quick turnaround for Gauthier in his time in the Friendly City.

"I got here about 2 weeks ago and I'm here to flip things upside down in the homeless community. We have 500 active homeless people in our community of Moose Jaw alone. I was homeless. I do not look homeless, these people do not look homeless - we are people. They need our love and our attention and support. They don't need us to walk by them like they are the pink elephant in the room; they need our love. That's what I am here for."

To give back, Gauthier is going to be down at Riverside Mission in Moose Jaw every other Monday offering haircuts to those who have fallen on tough times. This past Monday, he was at the Mission cutting hair and creating a bond with staff and those who utilize the mission. 

One person who has fallen on tough circumstances who got their hair cut was Arron Snyder, who described what it means to have a new haircut.

"It's all about how you feel. Like you get a new haircut, it goes along with your look, you know, it feels great to have a [haircut]. It is amazing and it is really great to have a good haircut."

Another thing that Gauthier added was that a haircut may not seem like that big of a deal, but it can make a world of difference for someone.