A local barber is back on his feet after a fire destroyed his shop last month.
Majdi Jado – also known as Magic in the community – is currently cutting and clipping at Zahra’s Ultimate Hair Design salon on Sixth Street.
“He was in a situation where he needed help,” owner Zahra Hakim told the Record. “Why not? We have to help.”
On July 19, a blaze broke out in the walls of the New Venture Coin Laundry laundromat in the 400 block of Eighth Street. Magic’s Attention Barber Shop was just a few units down.
“We stood out there and watched the whole building burn,” he recalled.
It took 42 firefighters, two water trucks and five engines to extinguish the fire, but by then it was too late. Magic had lost everything.
“I went inside to see if I could salvage anything, but when I saw everything, I was really disappointed and it actually hit me then,” he said. “I felt like I just wrecked the whole thing, I didn’t really care anymore because I was really upset.”
That anger grew with the realization that the roughly $6,500 worth of barber equipment was not insured. The father-of-two had been approached by an insurance company in the past, but some bad reviews deterred him from signing up.
“We should have looked at some different insurance companies,” Magic said. “We should have had insurance.”
The day after the tragedy, he began knocking on doors, visiting every Royal City barber shop and salon he could think of, asking if he could rent a chair. That’s when Hakim agreed to let him operate out of her studio, free of charge.
“I was really grateful when she took me in. She’s a wonderful lady,” Magic said. “I’m really lucky.”
The North Burnaby resident said because he still has two years remaining on his barber shop lease and because the landlord plans to rebuild the damaged units, he’d like to return to Eighth Street. When asked if he’d consider a different location, Magic noted he doesn’t have the money to start something new, especially if there’s a higher rent to pay.
Being anything but a barber is difficult for Magic to think about. He came to Canada in 2001 from Palestine, working in construction for about 10 years. A bad fall, which caused a severe shoulder injury, forced him to pull out of the trade.
“I’ve always been active, and I couldn’t do anything physical. I suffered from depression and anger issues,” he told the Record. “So I went back to school, trained to become a barber, and honestly, it was the one thing I loved to do. I really enjoy working with people, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
Unsure of what the future holds at the moment, Magic said he’s just holding it all together. Hakim, meanwhile, said she’s thrilled to have him at her shop.
“I feel like I have another son working with me,” she laughed.
Zahra’s is at 446 Sixth St. Call 604-616-2630 to book an appointment with Magic.
