East Hamilton tattoo parlour facing handful of COVID-19 charges

A second Hamilton tattoo shop has been charged for operating despite a provincial stay-at-home order that has shuttered personal services across Ontario.

Renegade Tattoo Canada has been charged five times under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), according to the City of Hamilton's online list of businesses accused of flouting COVID rules.

Under the provincewide COVID-19 lockdown, personal care services such as tattoo parlours, hair salons, tanning salons and spas are prohibited from operating.

City bylaw officers visited the Kenilworth Avenue North tattoo parlour on two occasions - with both incidents resulting in tickets.

On April 30, the east Hamilton business was charged for allegedly obstructing an investigation, failing to maintain physical distancing, improper masking as well as operating when not permitted. Two days later, on May 2, the tattoo shop was once again ticketed for continuing to operate.

Speaking to The Spectator on Tuesday, owner David Sanders claimed he thought he was following the rules. He's since closed his shop's doors and said he plans on fighting the tickets in court.

Sanders' shop is the second tattoo parlour in Hamilton to remain open despite Ontario's ongoing lockdown.

Kryptonian Ink, located on the Hamilton Mountain, has been charged four times under the ROA and its business licence was temporarily suspended by the city last week.

In the city's COVID-19 update Monday, Emergency Operations Centre director Paul Johnson said bylaw investigations into the businesses are ongoing" and further action" could be taken against the shops.

Those additional measures could include the closure of a business.

To take further and more dramatic action does take time," he said. We would have to investigate and have solid grounds to make that happen."

Johnson said through continued and progressive" enforcement, they're hopeful businesses will comply with the rules and stay closed through what he called the last push."

If our approach is that we will simply give out a fine and say Well, we did our job with the fine and there we go,' I know we'll see many, many businesses start to open when they're not allowed to," he added.

Johnson also acknowledged that city officials understand the pain and the impact" the lockdown is having on businesses.

There is a reason why we're at a stay-at-home order," he said. Businesses need to comply with that."

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com