Book ur next haircut / shave : theniteowl.ca
Haircutting and Shaving Saloon, on Lakeshore West (29th & Lakeshore)
A local tradition since 1947!
The Nite Owl Barber Shop has been a fixture on Toronto's Lakeshore Boulevard West since the late '40s. Mr. Joseph Fanfara came to Canada from Italy after the war and worked nearby at a billiard hall, and barbered on the side.
There came a time for young Mr. Fanfara when the barbering became more profitable than the billiards, so in 1953 he opened up the barber shop in its current location at 3397 Lakeshore Boulevard West. When Mr. Fanfara passed away and the last of the original barbers retired, the shop lay idle for almost 10 years. The shop has attracted considerable attention: its originality and authenticity make it something of an early 1950s timewarp.
After almost 10 years of sitting idle, the Nite Owl Barber Shop was brought back to life by local resident Brian Hurson.
"I served an old-fashioned apprenticeship back in Ireland. I learned to shave with a straight razor before I could do a haircut. I trained at the Waldorf Barbershop in Dublin. The Waldorf Barbershop has been open since 1929 and has legendary status in the barbering community. I was trained by Liam and Linda Finnegan, the same master barbers who trained Schorem before they opened. I then worked with my friend Jon Roth for almost 2 years at Crowsnest Barber Shop, Toronto's finest barber shop. I am a history fanatic and reviving The Nite Owl and working in my local community is a dream come true."
- Brian Hurson.
