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Hi, my name is Roman and i am fundraising for my girlfriend Chloe.

Chloe is my partner and the most wonderful mother i have ever seen. She is also founder and owner of the hair salon Silk Head Spa on Wharf Ave in Sechelt.

2.5 years back Chloe had a vision to create her own business and found this little studio space from which Silk Head Spa was born. When she found this studio it was an old barber shop in very bad shape with old broken tile floor, moldy drywall, awful lighting, plumbing was inappropriate and much more.




Chloe saw the potential of the space but knew it would need a lot of work and care to make it the space she envisioned.


To be sure it would be worth it, she spoke to the owner of the property and asked, if he is considering of selling the place anytime soon. Of course if that was the case, it would have been the wrong spot and she wouldn't invest. The landlord assured her that he is not planning to sell at all, furthermore, that he is planning to live out his life in the house which is on the same property as the studio right beside it. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get his word in writing and put full trust in him. As a local teacher at the alternative school she believed he was a man of good merit and that it was safe to move forward and invest. The renovations started mid 2021 and were done around December the same year.



Many of Chloes friends and family came to help renovate the space.





So many hours were put into the renovations and a whole lot of heart. After all was done, her investment reached about $50'000. She was granted a loan through comminity futures to build this little oasis and enrich our community. Many clients came and enjoyed this beautiful little gem in Sechelt. It was a fast growing business. People loved what Chloe created and it was thriving.

In August 2023, Silk Head Spa hired an employee to care for the clietntele and space because she became pregnant. Chloe dreamed to commit to motherhood for one year. She was thrilled when someone came along to take over for her so she could take time off for maternaty leave. The employee really enjoyed working in the beautiful space Chloe had created. But the bad news hit in November, just two months postpartum when her new employee informed her that the house went up for sale. It was an emotional rollarcoaster ever since as the landlord did the unexpected. The property went up for sale at $980'000. At a meeting with the landlord, he admitted that the studio was the best part of the house and that Chloe made it that way. Upon the question, if he would reimburse her if she had to leave after the sale went through, he denied.

In December 2023, a buyer was found. The buyer offered a one year lease and pushed Silk Head Spa significantly to sign the lease as quick as possible. Silk Head Spa's employee was relieved that the business could go on and she wouldn't loose her job. It seemed like everything was working out; until the old landlord had a chat with the employee and revealed, that the new buyer is planning to develop the property and ultimately tear down the studio. That conversation worried her employee so much, that she backed out of her agreement. Unfortunately, Chloe had already signed that new lease trusting the employee would proceed working in the studio. After learning about her employees plans to leave, Chloe kindly reached out to the past and new owners, telling them about the situation expressing that she can't stay in business without an employee as she herself is being with her now 4 month old daughter and has no possible chance to go back to work. She explained everything in detail and told them, that she wont be able to keep the lease and will have to close Silk Head Spa. Chloe tried to find someone to take over the lease or a new employee but to no avail.

The old landlord has not responded at all, the new landlord responded in form of a threat to take legal action. He expressed that breaking a lease will have legal consequences. The new landlord offered a release of the just signed contract only two weeks after signing for a lump sum of $12'000.

Not only will Chloe lose the ability to work in her space that she built out of a dream, she is also now entangled in huge debt for the money put into the renovations which she is not getting reimbursed for, and on top of that charged a lump sum of $12'000 to back out of a lease agreement she felt pushed to sign under the impression she will have an employee to be working and utilizing the space for years to come.

If everything goes the way the parties involved are communicating, Chloe will be left with a debt of $62'000 and no business and all her hard work eventually turned to a pile of rubble.

It breaks my heart to see how her dream is crashing with such a hard hit.

My hope is to raise $12'000 to put towards her loss. Maybe one day she might have the courage to rebuild her beautiful salon.

Thank you for your time to read our story and for any donations, it is very much appreciated.
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Donations 

  • Samira Wilms
    • $33
    • 11 mos
  • Rachale Cavanagh
    • $100
    • 1 yr
  • Ruth Redekop
    • $175
    • 1 yr
  • Shel Neufeld
    • $30
    • 1 yr
  • Sandra Tait
    • $100
    • 1 yr
Donate

Organizer

Roman Thoeny
Organizer
Sechelt, BC

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