One of the best-known hair salon names in western Canada is opening up a school in Peace River. EvelineCharles Academy’s new campus is attached to Glenmary School, with classes starting in less than two weeks.
“We are thrilled to partner with EvelineCharles Academy in Peace River, and offer their high-quality training to Glenmary School students,” says Holy Family Catholic Regional Division. “This facility will be a draw to all students in the North looking to pursue post-secondary education without going far from home.”
CEO Eveline Charles was born and raised in Falher but had to leave to get her training in Edmonton in the 1970s. She says she wants to give men and women in northern Alberta opportunities to learn closer to home.
“A lot of these towns are shrinking because once someone moves to Edmonton or Calgary or wherever for a year, then maybe they’re not going to go back,” she explains. “I still absolutely love being where I was from… had I had everything that I needed maybe I would have just stayed there.”
The school will be offering high school cosmetology courses to Glenmary students, as well as training for post-secondary students in hairstyling and esthetics. Part-time courses for specialties like gel nails, eyelash extensions and microblading will also be available, as Charles says they’re trying to make their education as accessible as possible.
“We’ve had so many people through the years say, ‘I’d love to take hairstyling or cosmetology but I have three kids and I have a husband and I can’t move to Edmonton,” Charles says. “They can work full-time somewhere else and then have a part-time job doing weddings and photo shoots.”
Post-secondary courses will run from July to January, with students completing an online course beforehand. There is room for 12 students each in hairstyling and esthetics.
Eveline Charles currently operates two campuses in Edmonton and Calgary and six salons across Alberta. She says she hopes to extend educational opportunities to more parts of the province in the future.