From miles away for a cut: Lloyd’s Barber Shop was Kindersley’s gathering place

By Joan Janzen

Running a barbershop was more than a business back in the era when Lloyd’s Barber Shop was located on Main Street in Kindersley. Men from Wilkie, Outlook, Oyen and Fox Valley were known to frequent Lloyd Beauchesne’s shop while their wives were shopping in town. It was the place to go to enjoy a good visit along with a haircut.

The gathering place. Len Fahn (left) and Lloyd Beauchesne enjoy a day at work at the barber shop in Kindersley in the early 1960s. Lloyd is dressed for another day of work in his white shirt and bow tie. PHOTO KINDERSLEY MUSEUM

Lloyd began working as a barber in Kindersley at Len Fahn’s shop after getting married in 1959, and when Len retired in 1972, Lloyd started his own shop. However, he had started his professional career in 1956.

After completing his training in Saskatoon, he began his barbering career at the Bessborough Hotel. While there, his customers included John Wayne, John Diefenbaker, Phil Everly and Colonel Sanders.

The customers who sat in Lloyd’s barber chair in Kindersley thoroughly enjoyed their experience. He kept them entertained, telling jokes, whistling, singing and even yodelling. It was the place to go to find out what was happening in the area and to view samples of Lloyd’s collectibles. He had a passion for collecting bottles, glass, arrowheads and rocks, and was an avid photographer.

It was a sad day when he was forced to close his shop in 1997 due to ill health, and even sadder when he passed away on Feb. 22, 1998. His antique barber chair and other equipment are on display at the Kindersley Museum, where Lloyd’s legacy lives on.