It took a long time for Ray Tetreault to find his life鈥檚 work.
He tried a number of different careers including auctioneering, work as a unit manager doing research on sheep at the University of Saskatchewan, farming and construction among other things.
It was while in that construction job in British Columbia that he finally made a decision.
鈥淚 had a long chat with another chap that I was working with and he said, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you do what you want? Why don鈥檛 you do what you like, if you don鈥檛 like working in construction?鈥欌��
鈥淲hat could I do that people would come to my business, pay me for what I do and leave the residue on the floor?
鈥淏补谤产别谤颈苍驳.鈥�
He continues to proudly uphold that tradition today at Ray鈥檚 Olde Tyme Barbershop on 100th Street in North Battleford, where he has been in business for the last four years.
Tetreault was born and raised in Gravelbourg. His family鈥檚 roots in Canada run deep, with their ancestry traces back to 1662 on his father鈥檚 side and 1642 on his mother鈥檚 side. 鈥淥ur geneology has been a long time in Canada,鈥� he said.
Their family was involved in farming but also in the horse racing industry.
His father, Felix, was heavily involved and he remembers spending most of his vacations at racetracks all over western Canada for harness racing.
Those were days when harness racing was booming as a spectator sport throughout Saskatchewan.
The races used to be 鈥渁ll over. I could name you a whole pile of towns.鈥� All the major towns had racetracks, he remembered. One of the stops was here in the Battlefords. 鈥淚 remember coming to North Battleford in the 鈥�50s,鈥� said Tetreault.
He initially trained in auctioneering but found as a 鈥測oung auctioneer I didn鈥檛 have much of a chance against the established auctioneers.鈥�
Ray moved to Saskatoon and got a job with the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. As it turned out, the skills he learned there would come in handy later on.
鈥淧art of my responsibility was shearing sheep,鈥� he said, to get them ready for lambing.
He taught himself how to do that job, and those skills would come in handy later on. It鈥檚 鈥渂alance and strokes鈥� in shearing, he said, same as barbering.
鈥淚 had the balance of a clipper. I knew it鈥檚 all in the wrist, so I took what I learned from shearing sheep to cutting hair.鈥�
Tetreault knew he needed training for his career in barbering. He got his training at Vancouver Community College, graduating at age 50, and launched his new career in Sidney, outside of Victoria. After a few months, he bought the shop.聽聽
He could have gone on to hair styling, but barbering was his choice, Tetreault said.
鈥淭he camaraderie and fellowship that you get with your customers鈥� is what stood out for him.
鈥淚 like talking to people. Whether they agree or disagree with me, it doesn鈥檛 really matter 鈥� whether it is politics or religion, which is my two favorite subjects, which they tell you you鈥檙e not supposed to discuss 鈥� it鈥檚 what I enjoy the most. So I kind of found my niche with barbering.鈥澛�
After a while, however, Tetreault needed a break. Around 2009 he sold his shop, and decided to take a year off. He went to Israel and Egypt and 鈥渇loated on the Dead Sea鈥� and saw all the sights in that region.
鈥淚 walked where Jesus walked, and that鈥檚 important to me,鈥� said Tetreault, a devout Seventh-Day Adventist.
When he came back, he was looking for something to do and learned from his son barbers were need in Afghanistan.
He got the employer on the phone and had all the qualifications. Soon after, he was on his way to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
鈥淭hat separates the men from the boys there,鈥� he said of his experience.
It meant 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with no days off or time off until about the 90th day. Then it was a short respite, followed by another three-month stint.
Tetreault鈥檚 clientele there were the young men who headed off to do battle in Afghanistan. Sometimes, the hours would vary as another platoon would come in needing haircuts, requiring his services.聽
It was tough going, but there were fringe benefits. The food, for one thing, was superb.聽
鈥淵es, you worked hard. But they fed you,鈥� Tetreault recalls. There was food from all around the world there, he said. 鈥淚t was good food and it was cooked well, and the boys were not afraid to give you more if you wanted more.鈥�
The low points came whenever a member of the Canadian forces was killed. Tetreault remembered standing on the tarmac one day as the coffin of a soldier was loaded onto the plane.
鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely sure I had him in my chair, just a day or two before鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat got a hold of me.鈥�
Finally, Tetreault returned home to British Columbia, where he planned to work at a barbershop in the Victoria area.
June 4, 2010 was a day Tetreault would never forget. A massive fire wiped out the strip mall at Colwood Corner, including his barbershop.
He lost all his tools including a special comb that has the right curvature that works so well in barbering.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my special comb and I like it so well,鈥� said Tetreault. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 replace that. Something as simple as that.鈥澛犅�
The loss of his livelihood in such a devastating way had an impact on Tetreault.
鈥淚t took a number on me. I felt oppressed and depressed.鈥�
It isn鈥檛 the first time Tetreault has dealt with adversity in his life.
鈥淗ow do you deal with it? You go from one step to the next step and you hope the next step will be better.鈥�
Tetreault needed to put his life back together.
Ultimately, he made the decision to return to Saskatchewan and found a location in North Battleford,聽 on 100th Street, facing the traffic.
It is there that he has been able to pursue his barbering trade, making full use of the skills and the tools of his trade, including the razor.
He鈥檚 been able to attract a growing clientele, including many veterans who have heard of Tetreault鈥檚 efforts in Afghanistan.
The barber trade is one that is sadly dying out, Tetreault notes.聽
Reviving the trade is something Tetreault is trying to do now. He has been looking to start an association to protect the barber鈥檚 trade and their trademark 鈥� the barber pole that is seen outside the business.
Tetreault expressed particular displeasure with those unlicensed haircutters who use the barber pole trademark and then pass themselves off as barbers.
鈥淭hey are ruining the business, for the simple fact they undercut the real barbers,鈥� said Tetreault.聽
There are people out there who remain committed, however, to keeping the barbering tradition alive, including in Tetreault鈥檚 own family, of which Ray the Barber is particularly proud.聽聽聽
鈥淚 have a son who is a barber and has a barbershop in Brentwood Bay, Victoria, doing extremely well. It may be a trade that鈥檚 dying out, but if a person practises the trade, it booms.鈥�
