Decades-old barbershop to shut its doors ahead of Westgate Mall demolition

CBC

a day ago

One corner of Ottawa's Westgate Mall that's been filled with the sound of hair trimmers and laughter will soon fall silent, as Ramon Carballude and his barbershop prepare for the end of an era.
Westgate Barber Shop will close its doors Thursday after decades of business. Carballude, who joined the barber shop in 1968 shortly after immigrating to Canada, says that while he feels "terrible" about the closure, it's inevitable.
The city's oldest mall, located on the southwest corner of Merivale Road and Carling Avenue, is slated to close Oct. 31. It will be demolished to make way for a grocery store and residential towers, according to River ward Coun. Riley Brockington.
For Carballude, the closure represents the end of decades of memories.
'All my life'
Now 85, Carballude learned his trade in a small town in Galicia, Spain, before coming to Canada in 1965.
Back then, barbers needed a licence to operate. After a few years working in construction, Carballude passed his Canadian licensing exams in 1968 on his first try and began working at the shop.
Over the years he's done thousands of haircuts and made connections with people across the country. Customers have come from as far as Nanaimo, B.C., several times a year for his services, he said.
"We try to be nice to the people. And people are nice to you," he said. "They don't get the same service in other places."
Carballude plans to keep cutting hair, moving about a kilometre west on Carling Avenue to a new location owned by his long-time employees.
It will be called The New Westgate Barber Shop. Still, he says, he'll miss the memories.
"I've been here all my life," he said. "I deal with the people. I talk to the people. And people are nice. Why [do] you want [us] to disappear?"
Juan Vo, one of the co-owners of the new location, said he's nervous about starting fresh. He's been working at the Westgate Mall shop for 27 years.
"I will miss it very much," he said. "A lot of people come and go, you know."
Community has 'evolving needs'
The mall is owned by RioCan, an investment trust with properties across Canada.
According to an emailed statement, RioCan confirmed all tenants — save for the Shoppers Drug Mart — will be required to move out by the fall as part of a "revitalization plan to support the community's evolving needs."
"We are grateful to all our tenants for their long-standing support and presence at Westgate and remain committed to a smooth transition," the statement said.
Brockington said the mall isn't as busy as it used to be. He added RioCan has been clear with the city about its process, and he has engaged in soliciting feedback from people in his ward.
He said the revitalization plan will help implement the city's long-term strategic plans for urban intensification.
"The city has to make room over 30 years for 400,000 more people, so we have to do our part. And when you look at a major artery like Carling, that's where you expect height and density to be built."
Still, he says he understands the sentimental value in Westgate Mall.
"As a councillor you have to thread the needle between respecting established mature communities and the need to facilitate infill and more growth. And that isn't always easy."
ARCHIVES | Westgate opens in Ottawa
10 years ago
Westgate was the first mall in Ottawa when it opened in the 1950s.