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Barber Pole from Senate Barber Shop, Centre Block

The Senate and the House of Commons each had its own barber shop in Centre Block. This barber pole is believed to have been first used in the Senate’s barber shop as early as the 1940s.

The wooden pole is painted in a classic colour scheme found on many barber poles: a combination of spiralling blue, red and white stripes. Records suggest this barber pole was likely created in the early 1940s and mounted to a wooden stand in 1995.

The artefact reflects a bygone era of life on Parliament Hill, when senators and members of Parliament were predominantly men and the services available to parliamentarians were much different from those of today.

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