2 Friday, October 27, 2023brooklintowncrier.com It was a simple question in the middle of an interview. What has Youssef Darrouj enjoyed the most about Canada? He used the word "freedom" five times in the course of a minute, as in, "There's more freedom here. Everybody likes freedom." His is another inspiring story of an immigrant who has made Whitby his home after arriving from a war-torn country with practically nothing, including the ability to speak English. Darrouj came to Canada in February of 2018 from Damascus, via Beirut, and within two months got a job as a barber for Brenton Alleyne at his Ajax location. Darrouj spoke practically no English and so attended English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. Taking over Alleyne also owned a Brooklin location. However, major renovations to his Ajax business made him decide to sell the Brooklin shop and, last spring, offered it to Darrouj. He jumped at the opportunity to own his own business in Canada, a long held dream. Today, Brooklin Barber at 17 Baldwin is entirely his, including the box of tiny Swiss chocolates he offers customers. However, Darrouj didn't suddenly decide to become a barber. There's a 17-year history to his choice of profession. "I was 16," he says, "and I tell my Monday - Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm Friday 9:00am-5:30pm Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday Closed Top Dollar for Your Trade 1201 Dundas St. East, Whitby SALES 905-668-5846 SERVICE 905-668-8871 PARTS 905-668-8853 ORDER YOUR PRE-OWNED CAR WITH US! SALES (905) 721-6599 SERVICE (905) 721-6588 PARTS (905) 721-6577 445 Winchester Road East, Brooklin Check out our Pre-Owned Inventory on our website! Hyundai Breakaway Sales Event. Swing by to take a practice shot on our Net in the showroom! Made for Those Who Drive Hockey!Made for Those Who Drive Hockey! The Brooklin Barber: Freedom by Richard Bercuson Continued on Page 3