People of the Passage May 2025

by Gail Haarsma—After 43 years in the business, Glenda Kennedy of “Glenda’s Barbershop” is hanging up her clippers and easing into retirement near family in Trenton, Ontario. She plans to take yoga classes, bake and cook, and spend time with her husband.

“As a retirement gift to myself, I’m going to Europe with my sister and nieces,” says Kennedy. “I’m going to eat a lot of pastries in Paris.”

When asked how she got into barbering, Kennedy shares a bit of a tale. As a 14-year-old in a small town outside St. John’s, she worked as the “shampoo girl” in a hair salon. “It seemed glamorous at the time,” she recalls.

She applied to the College of Trades and Technology several times but couldn’t get into the hairdressing course. Instead, she went to the local “Canada Manpower Centre,” now Service Canada, to see what options were available.

“A counsellor called me and said there were some seats in a barbers’ training course and asked if I was interested,” says Kennedy. “I told her, ‘Yeah, I’ll try it,’ and 43 years later I’m still doing it.”

Her first barbering job was in St. John’s, where she worked for five years before moving to Cole Harbour to be closer to her brother.

“I was very nervous when I started, but all the people were kind and helpful. It took me an hour to do a haircut back then, so I didn’t make a lot on commission at that speed.”

Eventually, she packed up her hatchback and her daughter and moved to Nova Scotia, working as a barber at Penhorn Mall. Later, she interviewed with someone who ran several barbershops on the military base.

“The man who owned the barbershop asked me to show my skills, so I worked for half a day, and then he hired me on the spot. I worked on the Base for five or six years before I opened my shop on Main Road.”

It was at this barbershop on the Base that she met Shawn Kennedy, a member of the RCAF, who became her husband and father to her little girl. They have been married for 33 years.

Kennedy has seen the barbering industry evolve, especially with the rise of chain stores offering “extras” like high-end products and hair tattooing—along with upscale prices.

“Barbering used to be mom-and-pop shops that served the community at a fair price,” she reflects. “Over the years, I kept that atmosphere at Glenda’s, making it a relaxed and comfortable space for everyone.”

When asked what she’ll miss most, Kennedy becomes emotional.

“It’s the people—having clients and keeping them for 35 years—that’s what I’ll miss the most,” says a tearful Kennedy. “I’ve cut clients’ hair, their children’s, and their grandchildren’s hair. My clients are my friends, and I talk with them every day about what’s going on in the world and their perspective on it.”

Glen Young is the client she has had the longest (besides her husband), and she gives a shoutout to some of her other long-standing customers, including George, Mike, Calvin, Yogi, Blaine, and Sean.

“They know who they are, so I don’t have to give their last names,” she explains. “I’ve had many clients from Eastern Passage, Cole Harbour, and Woodside. Many have moved away but made a trip back to see us at the shop before I go.”

Kennedy hopes her long-term clients will continue to support the barbershop. “It wasn’t just me who made this shop what it is. I’ve had wonderful staff over the years.”

Her parting message to her clients and the community:

“I’m going to miss you, and I won’t forget you! Eastern Passage has been a big part of my life. It’s the type of place I wanted to be, because it reminded me of my home in Newfoundland—down-to-earth and kind people.”

Glenda Kennedy lives in Cole Harbour with her husband, Shawn. She has a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. She has run “Glenda’s Barbershop” in Eastern Passage for the past 31 years. She is retiring in May, so if you’d like to say your goodbyes and offer well wishes, be sure to drop in at Main Road before she closes up her barbering kit.