Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Aug 15/05) - Henry the barber - one of Hay River's best known and most colourful businessmen - is leaving town.

"I'm going to open another shop in Yellowknife," Henry White says, adding the move will take place around Sept. 1.

White has cut hair in Hay River for the last nine years.

His shop at the Ptarmigan Inn will remain and be operated by his daughter, Sherryl White, who has worked there for the past two years. Henry will still co-own the business.

White is well-known in Hay River and elsewhere, including his election polls of customers, a brief time on town council and his travels to cut hair in Fort Simpson.

His experiences as a travelling barber will be featured on an upcoming segment of the CBC television program On the Road Again.

"I figure I need a change, and there's not enough business for two," he says of the reasons for turning his Hay River shop over to his daughter.

Some of his current customers are doubtful he really intends to leave Hay River, since he briefly left for Labrador last year.

"Most of them wish me luck, but you got one per cent who can't understand why I'm leaving the area," he says.

White, 51, says he's looking forward to Yellowknife. "There's nothing like having new faces." The barber still plans to travel to Fort Simpson to cut hair and may now make trips to Rae-Edzo as well.