Like a phoenix out of the ashes: P.E.I. barbershop reopens for 3rd time

Rose Savard stands with her hands in a client's hair, clippers whirring. It's a familiar feeling, an act that she has been doing for 50 years.

"I like the whole process of meeting nice people of working with people, chatting with people, every so often, every month or once or month they come and get their haircut and then they bring their son, their grandson, it's like a big family," she said.

She is now at Kutz 'N' Kurlz hair salon on University Avenue in Charlottetown her third spot in a decade, something she never imagined.

But fate would have it that she would become a poster child for perseverance. In 2007 fire struck the building that housed her salon on Kent Street.

• Charlottetown man, 50, arrested after apartment building fire

Thanks to her community, she was able to reopen again quickly around the corner on Prince Street.

"I got lots of help people came and helped me [with] painting and fixing the place and went shopping and eight days we were back in business."

Fire strikes a 2nd time

She remained on Prince Street for another eight years, until one day in May of 2015. She was driving into the city for work when she saw it.

"I saw the smoke coming from the bridge I thought oh, I hope it's not my shop again, and it was, " she explained

"When I get closer and closer, I knew that was my salon and that I was without a job again."

• Fire guts downtown Charlottetown buildings

She watched that shop be gutted by flames, but even in the moment, although devastating, the thought of giving up didn't cross her mind.

'I had to find another place'

"One thing I knew I wouldn't do it was retire, there was no way I was going to retire. I had to find another place and keep going because I love what I'm doing and I just couldn't see me not doing." she said.

Savard said the second fire was a bit harder to come back from because there was no location close by to move into.

She had a few offers to take a chair in several shops in the city, but eventually settled on Kutz 'N' Kurlz.

For the past two years, she and the owner have been sharing the space, she cuts for the male clients, he the female.

A home for her sign

Her sign has even found a home there a memory she smiles about.

"When the boys came to put it up I was watching I was outside watching really so happy to see that again, and right away I started thinking that oh that's going to help me because now people will see the sign, they will find me and it's working."

She says business has been good, and many of her old clients have followed her to the new spot.

However, she fears some may have thought she retired after the second fire, something she says she isn't planning anytime soon. When asked how she remains so determined after her ordeal, she said it comes down to attitude.

I just thought there's better days ahead, that my job is not finished- Rose Savard

"I just thought there's better days ahead, that my job is not finished, you know if you really like what you're doing you just keep doing it," she said

"I don't know, I'm probably a very positive person. I don't look at the bad side, I look at, 'ok where do we go from now you know where do we go now,' and that's what I did."

Savard said Kutz 'N' Kurlz will be her last stop, she will stay there cutting hair for as long as she's healthy.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | CBC's new Anne series premieres March 19
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. woman participates in 'research-a-thon' on U.S. travel ban