Canada Tattoo And Body Piercing
News And Articles...

Ontario, Canada
03/04/09

Tattoo artists don crowns.

George Brown III and Matt Ellis spent seven and 10 years respectively at Way Cool Tattoo Uptown and have decided to spread their wings and open their own parlour.

Wanting to grow in their craft, the two created Seven Crowns, a name that, to Ellis, is apropos of their industry.

“Seven and crowns are both things that are involved in tattoo imagery since forever, especially the older sailor stuff and the sort of rock and roll, gambling lifestyle,” he said. “(And) seven crowns have a lot of religious connotations attached.

And the two men aren’t just restricting themselves to inking human canvases, either.

“We’re doing a lot more artwork as well and plan on having small gallery shows in the future,” Ellis said.

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Courtesy of: towncrieronline.ca

B&Es still plague downtown.

A tattoo and body piercing store in downtown Maple Ridge is being pushed to the brink following four thefts in the past 18 months.

Defiance Body Studio, on Lougheed Highway near 223rd Street, lost 70 per cent of its body jewellery during the latest break-in, which happened around 7 a.m. on Jan. 5.

The theft cost the store $7,000 in stock and forced Kim Guthro, who’s operated Defiance for six years, to cut her staff shifts to four hours from seven.

“I don’t have retail jewellery to sell,” she said. “I’ve had to cut my girls’ hours back. They are probably not going to make their rent because I can’t make their pay cheques.” Guthro is dipping into her savings account to purchase more stock.

“Nobody cares. The police don’t care, council doesn’t care, the mayor doesn’t care. They just continue to let things happen over and over,” said Guthro, who may move to Pitt Meadows if the store is robbed again.

Defiance wasn’t the only store targeted by thieves along Lougheed Highway in January.

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Courtesy of: bclocalnews.com

Saskatoon,Saskatchewan,Canada
09/02/07

A well-known local tattoo shop has moved to a new location.

Pic-Man Tattoo, which was previously located on 23rd Street East, can now be found on Third Avenue South. Tracey Grand'maison said Pic-Man has moved several times since Marc first opened on Idylwyld Drive in 1997, but the business has found a permanent home with the new location.

She called Pic-Man a "mom and pop shop," with Tracy offering the body piercing and Marc the tattooing. Tracey Grand'maison said she and her husband have seen "nothing but an increase" in the popularity of tattooing over the years. She attributes the rise in popularity, in part, to television shows about tattooing such as Miami Ink.

Pic-Man Tattoo is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

3 PIC-MAN TATTOO
Owners: Tracey and Marc Grand'maison
Address: 226 Third Ave. South
Telephone: 384-7887

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Ontario, Canada
08/22/07

Tattoo studio faces $10M lawsuit.

The $10 million class-action lawsuit against Longhorn Custom Bodyart Studio was filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Whitby Monday on behalf of Oshawa resident Kaleb Beaulieu, who received a tattoo at Longhorn in July.

The action includes everyone who received a tattoo or body piercing between Nov. 17, 2006, and Aug. 1 of this year, when the studio's equipment sterilizer was alleged to have been malfunctioning on and off.

Longhorn, which has been in business 16 years, was closed Aug. 1 by health inspectors for eight days after a routine visit revealed the machine used to sterilize multi-use instruments hadn't been working properly. The machine has since passed daily tests ordered by the health department, Collins said. The studio has been ordered to do bi-weekly tests for the next two years.

The statement of claim alleges negligence on the part of the studio and its owner, Hugh Towie. The sterilizer was being operated at lower than the required 132C, "such that Hepatitis B and C and HIV could have survived the steam treatment," the claim says.

Towie called the lawsuit a "crock." "There are no problems whatsoever and in July there were no problems either." When the shop reopened Aug. 9, Towie's wife Kim said a technician fixed the machine in July. "It was just a screw that needed adjustment. The temperature was supposed to reach 132 but it only got to 128."

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Courtesy of: thestar.com

Tattoo boom sometimes leaves the sting of regret.

A bearded, fanged green and yellow monster bares its teeth over most of Kate Moody's foot, but the Ottawa woman is spending thousands of dollars to ensure she won't be staring it down for much longer. Moody is one of a growing number of people seeking laser removal of their tattoos, as the popularity of skin art grows.

Moody has so far had about a third of the tattoo removed by dermatologist Dr. Sharyn Laughlin at an Ottawa clinic through a painful procedure Laughlin pioneered using a pulsed laser to minimize scarring.

Nick Janna, who works at Planet Ink on Ottawa's Rideau Street, said his industry tries to ensure people don't come to regret their tattoos. His shop won't tattoo anyone under 18, and also avoids hands, necks and the names of boyfriends or girlfriends.

Jimmy Roberts, a custom tattooist at Planet Ink, said he recalls just such a case. "We had a guy come in, he'd just turned 18, which is when we'll tattoo people. And he wanted to make it look like his throat was slashed. So we told him no, we can't do that," said Roberts, who said he has probably covered a hundred tattoos with new ones after his customers regretted the original.

Finally, after returning month after month, the customer who wanted the throat tattoo threatened to go to another shop. Roberts, concerned that another shop might not do a good job, finally agreed. He said the customer claims he doesn't regret it — yet.

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Courtesy of: cbc.ca

Tattoos are no longer taboo.

Tattooing has been around for centuries and basic tattooing methods have not changed much over time. What changed is the risk of getting certain diseases like hepatitis or HIV/AIDS.

Tattooing is an unregulated and unlicensed industry. The artists do not require any type of training, certification or license to give tattoos.

The health unit inspects all tattoo shops at least once per year to ensure the shop workers are following regulations to reduce infections and the spread of diseases. The inspection report is kept at the tattoo shop and is available to the public.

Ask if the shop has been inspected by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and ask to see the inspection reports.

Most artists in the District of Thunder Bay take pride in the cleanliness of their shop and are willing to answer your questions, but remember: if they can’t or won’t, leave and find an artist that will. Check out different studios and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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Courtesy of: tbsource.com

Fire in the Downtown.

Firefighters douse flames inside a business at 255 Quebec Street. One fire fighter had to be taken to hospital in ambulance for what appeared to be smoke inhalation as crews from several halls continue to battle a blaze burning in a two-storey building at the corner of Quebec Street and 2nd Avenue.

The building is home to the ReBirth Tattoo shop, Montage Jewellery, Gifts and Beads, and Flamingo Hair Care at street level and the Unicorn Healing Shop upstairs.

Shawn Patterson, owner of the Tattoo shop stood and watched in disbelief as his business literally went up in smoke.

"This is such a heart breaker" said Patterson. "There is such a stigma about tattoo shops, it took me a year and a half just to find someone to rent to me. I’ve only had it open for less than a year. I just can’t believe this."

Fire investigators have yet to pinpoint the cause of the fire, or to attach a damage estimate.

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Courtesy of: opinion250.com

Daring piercings became ... ordinary.

A friend of mine was waiting at a bus stop the other day and reported that five of the seven people who walked by had multiple facial piercings.

"I know. It's weird," says Jason Rose, 20. "It started out as something attached to really bad stereotypes. Now it's totally pop culture."

Kylie Ruthford, 16, is thoughtful when she talks about her nose piercing. "I don't think I got it because I'm angry at the world or whatever," she says about the petite silver stud over her right nostril. "I don't know. I just like the way they look. It's like jewelry, like bracelets or anything else."

The Health Canada website reveals that an American survey in 2001 found 51 per cent of university students had piercings, and that tattoo and piercing studios in Canada have "increased dramatically within the past few years."

So does that mean that people are becoming more rebellious? Or that body art is becoming less rebellious?

"Believe it or not, I think society is becoming more tolerant," says Katie Torrick, 19, who has a pierced lip.

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Toronto,Ontario,Canada
03/24/07

Blood, Sweat and Shears is all about big bold hair and body art.

The first thing most people will notice about hairdresser Asher Brewer, 24, is not the large tattoos on her chest and arms but her big hair.

The mash-up style of Brewer's big hair is reminiscent of her hybrid beauty parlour, Blood, Sweat and Shears – a one-stop shop that offers hair design and tattoos at 809 Queen St. W.

Ugly is what brought Brewer and BS&S resident tattoo artist Shawn McKenzie, 32, together. The first thing McKenzie noticed on Brewer was not her hair but the botched tattoo job on her arm. McKenzie, a tattoo artist with 16 years' experience, was asked by a friend if he would be willing to cover up Brewer's tattoo of unsightly hot pink flames. McKenzie agreed and embarked on the long process of transforming the flames into a snake.

After Brewer's tattoos were finished, McKenzie returned to the tattoo shop where he had been working. Then, in October, 2006, a year after they had first met, McKenzie got a call from Brewer. "She said, `I have a salon – do you want to work here?'"

McKenzie was there in a heartbeat and Blood, Sweat and Shears was officially born.

For now, Brewer is happy to wear the big hair and tattoos, and not let the tattoos and big hair wear her. "I think there is something really beautiful about someone being unique and finding out how they feel comfortable in their own skin rather than basing beauty on what they see in a magazine, fitting in a certain dress size or having Britney Spears' hair."

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Courtesy of: thestar.com

Victoria,British Columbia,Canada
03/20/07

Tattoo temptation.

Tattoo love is like any other: subject to passion, impulse and a change of heart. Getting the tattoo should be a good experience, says Jeff Slauenwhite, 37. He has been tattooing for 12 years, six of them at Urge Studios on Johnson Street.

Each Urge artist has their own stylistic specialty. Slauenwhite is known for realism and hot rods -- he's a self-professed classic car freak.

"If someone comes in wanting something [Tim] Burton-esque, I might send them to Spencer," says Slauenwhite listing off his colleagues' specialty areas: tribal, wildlife, comic book, traditional American and Asian. "We often do that for each other."

Despite a lingering association of tattoos with belligerent activity, they have become mainstream. Nearly 20 per cent of North Americans have a tattoo. There are half a dozen places in downtown Victoria to get a tattoo. Thirty years ago, Dock Forbes's place on Johnson Street, then considered a sketchy part of town, was the only one.

Tattoos are one of the oldest forms of human art, dating back to the Stone Age and found across cultures as marks of religion, protection, rites of passage, social class and decoration.

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Toronto,Ontario,Canada
03/17/07

Some believers get lots of ink.

Tattoos used to be associated with truckers, sailors, and convicts. Over the last decade, things have changed with alternative culture moving into the mainstream, introducing body art to anyone and everyone. This includes Christians.

Pernell Goodyear looks more like an indy rocker than a pastor. He's actually both. As well as a blogger, husband, and father of three. Goodyear works for the Salvation Army and is director of The Freeway Coffee House in Hamilton.

This cool dude sports funky glasses, stretched ear piercings, and an assortment of tattoos; some religious, some not. The religious tatts include a crown of thorns, a Celtic cross, the word "shalom," and a portrait of Jesus.

Religioustattoos.net is a website devoted to Judeo-Christian body art. The site is run by Jason Gennaro, a Catholic, married father of four living in Toronto. Gennaro created religioustattoos.net because he couldn't find any religious tattoo websites in the late '90s when he was looking for tattoo ideas.

"I love Christ, I love tattoos, and I thought what better way – create a site that people can share their artwork and inspire others," he says. He has 14 tattoos including crosses, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the fish symbol. All are featured on religioustattoos.net

"You want people to know, at a glance, more about you," he says. "We're a visual culture, we give off clues about what's important to us in all sorts of things. The way we dress, the way we cut our hair." "Tattoos are a further extension of that."

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Courtesy of: thestar.com

Health unit warns of ear-piercing risks.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health has advised area residents to be aware of the risks when piercing ears and other parts of the body.

Recently, public health inspectors uncovered improper use of an ear-piercing gun in an area establishment. Piercing guns are designed for use on earlobes only and not on other areas of the body. Incorrect use of equipment can damage the pierced area, tear the skin, and complicate healing. If anyone has had a body part - other than the ear lobe - pierced with a piercing gun, please contact WDG Public Health.

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Courtesy of: citizen.on.ca

CUSTOM TATTOO, PIERCING SHOP OPENS.

A new tattooing and piercing shop has opened for business on Idylwyld Drive North.

Half Evil Tattoo & Piercing, owned by tattoo artist Gary Cox, opened in mid-September. The 1,700- square-foot shop does custom tattoo work and offers body piercing, said piercer and shop manager Josh Bain.

The shop is clean and sterile, and is enrolled in the infection control quality assurance program offered by the University of Saskatchewan, Bain said.

The shop is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.333halfevil.ca.

- Half Evil Tattoo & Piercing -

Owner: Gary Cox
Address: 130A Idylwyld Dr. North
Telephone: 652-3332

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada
10/16/06

More skin, less ink.

Tattoos are trendy but permanence is passe, thanks to laser removal.

Dr. Gerald Boey, director of Arbutus Laser Centre in Vancouver, removes two or three unloved tattoos each day at his West Broadway clinic, and for every patient who gets one zapped, he advises another not to bother. The tattoo is too big, Dr. Boey tells them, or too colourful. It will take too long, cost too much -- live with it.

"The more professional the tattoo, the harder it is to remove, especially if it has lots of green, yellow and blue ink."

A big job can take 10 or more appointments, with lengthy healing time in between. The cost is anywhere from $30 to $50 per square inch per treatment, which can mean over $1,000 to remove a colourful four-inch butterfly. It's not unusual to spend 10 times the tattoo's original cost to get rid of it.

Although he worries about "the over-tattooing of America," from the point of skin damage and infection risk, he's upbeat about future options. There is a new "laser-receptive" ink being tested by a U.S. dermatologist that is formulated for ease of removal. Until it's on the market, though, he cautions people against getting a tattoo they don't intend to keep -- for life.

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Caledon,Ontario,Canada
09/06/06

Tattoos elevated to art form at Purple Haze.

The interior of Bolton's Purple Haze has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, something owner Ron McCarthy went to great lengths to achieve in the Chapel Street building.

McCarthy said the artists take great pride in their work. Purple Haze tattoos are guaranteed, as long as the customers look after them. They are instructed on short and long-term tattoo care, which involves using sunscreen, avoiding chlorine and keeping the area clean. Getting a tattoo is a big step, McCarthy observed, adding it's not to be taken lightly.

McCarthy's commitment to quality and detail led him far afield to find some of his staff. He searched the Internet and conducted many interviews before he found Boris Pavlovic, who he brought over from Serbia with his wife and child. Pavlovic earned quite a lot of recognition in Serbia where he owned his own shop.

Piercings are handled by Iain Wight, who is meticulous about his craft, taking time to explain everything to his customers. The needles are pre-sterilized and he sterilizes and prepackages the jewellery in individually wrapped bags. He puts his clients at ease and describes everything in detail to them as he goes through the process. He also provides pamphlets about hygiene and care.

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Courtesy of: caledoncitizen.com

Specializing solely in tattoos.

After years of working in the body modification business throughout the county, an entrepreneur ready to do it his way set out to open his own tattoo shop.

Mr. Winterbottom found his ideal location downtown at 178 Broadway where he renovated the small area from floor to ceiling and installed everything brand new with lots of help from his family and friends.

He wanted to work in an environment where the focus would be strictly on tattoos and for that reason he doesn't offer piercings.

He opened in mid-April and has tattooed over 200 people so far including local heroes such as firefighters and police officers.

Eventually Mr. Winterbottom will be looking to expand his business and hire more body modification artists to provide quality tattoos.

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Courtesy of: citizen.on.ca

Deuce's Wild Carnival.

How does a fledgling designer manage to launch his first line with a high-profile show at the Commodore Ballroom featuring a live performance by the Swollen Members? Jason Dussault, the smooth-talking mastermind behind the high-end street-wear Deuce Custom Ink believes that if you’re gonna do something, do it right.

With the help of long-time investor friends and a great publicist, Dussault made it happen. It doesn’t hurt that he counts Swollen Member Prevail among his pals and has connections at Leone’s L2 boutique, where it is currently the number one seller.

Given that the line consists of little more than jeans and hoodies, they’re very well made at the Deuce studio and at a local factory, and they’re all one of a kind. Using his own ideas along with the expertise and artistry of local designers Jenny Cummer, Peter Tsang (cocreator of the local line PierreJale), and tattoo/airbrush artist James Acrow, Dussault delivers street couture that’s done just the way you want it.

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Courtesy of: straight.com

Prisons open tattoo parlours.

The government has opened tattoo parlours in federal prisons and is looking at handing out clean needles to inmates who inject drugs.

For $5, federal prisoners can now get their favourite design or phrase -- but nothing racist or gang-related -- etched into their skin by a fellow inmate. The project is the first of its kind in Canada and believed by some to be the only one in the world.

Sites for tattoo parlours were chosen from each federal region. They are operating at Atlantic Institution in Renous, N.B., Cowansville Institution in Cowansville, Que., Bath Institution in Bath, Ont., Rockwood Institution in Stony Mountain, Man., and Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford, B.C.

A parlour was scheduled to begin operating at the Fraser Valley Institution for Women in British Columbia, but it has been delayed by construction.

Correctional Services of Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have signed an agreement to work together to analyze the risks and benefits of prison-based safe-needle programs.

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Courtesy of: canada.com

Current And Pending Canada Laws...

Tattoo shop gets green light from city.

Operators of a tattoo and body-piercing business have received a green light from city hall for start-up, despite concerns of a core-area church organization trying to throw up a speedbump.

City council's appeals committee today ruled in favour of Woody and Carey's Custom Tattoo and Body Piercing in the firm's effort to acquire a zoning allowance to set up shop on the 400 block of Notre Dame Avenue, just west of the Love-N-Care Ministries office -- and a stone's throw from an education centre used largely by newcomers to Canada.

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Courtesy of: winnipegsun.com

Stephenvil,Newfoundland,Canada
03/13/07

Cleanliness is good business.

Joe and Anitta Ducette are ahead of the government game. Together, they own A&J Body Piercing. A&J will no doubt pass regulations the province plans to bring down on what it calls the personal services industry. Personal services include piercing, tattoos, branding, implants, scarification, tongue splitting and just about anything else you can do to your body with scalpels, needles, ink and electricity.

While body modification is regulated in many jurisdictions across Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador has so far been without a code of conduct.

"That prompted our officials to carry out an evaluation," says Ross Wiseman, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Health. "That evaluation's done. Other regulations have been examined, including international jurisdictions outside Canada."

A little farther down Main Street, Peek-a-Boo Tattoos has moved beyond autoclaves. Also a sure fire candidate for government approval, shop owner and operator Bernard Smith has taken the disposable route. Once a fan of ultrasound cleaners and autoclaves, Mr. Smith finds it more cost-efficient to use disposable parts – and the health benefits, he says, are surefire.

"The consultation has been particularly cursory at this point," he says. "When I finish the review of the options available, I suspect the next step is that we move forward with the legislative framework. Through that process, we consult industry on what type of regulation exists," said Minister Wiseman.

Minister Wiseman expects regulations will be a benefit to the industry. While reassuring the converted, standard rules will also help legitimize business.

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Courtesy of: thegeorgian.ca

N.S. considers tattoo, piercing regulations.

The Nova Scotia government is looking at whether tattoo parlours and piercing studios need to be regulated, while Newfoundland and Labrador reviews its own rules in the aftermath of a teen's death.

Currently in Nova Scotia tattoo artists and body piercers are not licensed, nor are their workplaces routinely inspected.

There is no process for either self-regulation and licensing or government inspection," said Dr. Robert Strang, the provincial medical officer of health.

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Courtesy of: cbc.ca

Tattoo And Body Piercing Conventions...

When:
August 21, 22, 23, 2009

Where:
Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Avenue NW.
Edmonton,Alberta,Canada

Information:
Calgary Tattoos Website

When:
August 14, 15, 16, 2009

Where:
Stampede Roundup Centre
1410 Olympic Way SE
Calgary,Alberta,Canada

Information:
Calgary Tattoos Website

Tattoo Artist And Body Piercing
Employment Opportunities...