Daniel Markin, 68, is pictured in his new downtown Penticton barber shop.

Image Credit: Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative

When you talk to Daniel Markin for more than five minutes, one thing becomes clear — his infectious love for life and a smile that never seems to leave his face.

At 68, Markin is bursting with excitement over the opening of his new downtown Penticton business, Daniel’s Blue Ribbon Barber Shop, located at 145 Westminster Avenue West, Suite 101, right next door to Fritz’s Shoes.

Markin proudly owned the OK Falls Barber Shop for nearly 20 years — from 2005 until 2019 — before a devastating fire destroyed the building. That tragedy pushed him to take a new direction in life.

He’s led a fascinating and varied life, beginning with his first job working on his father’s commercial fishing boat off Vancouver Island. His affection for Penticton and the Okanagan Valley started in 2002 when he decided to pursue a career in barbering.

“I came into town not knowing anyone and signed up for classes at Sally’s School of Hairdressing,” he said. “The day after I graduated, I just wanted to find a job cutting hair.”

He soon met a barber named Rene, who owned the old Imperial Barber Shop in Penticton. Markin apprenticed with Rene for two years before joining the team at Sportsman’s Barber Shop, working alongside well-known local barbers Johnny Cicarello and Dennis.

Looking to branch out on his own, he opened OK Falls Barber Shop in 2005.

“I was there for 15 years before the place was destroyed by fire,” he said. “I had been working alone, not taking time off, and I was just burned out. After the fire, I slept for what felt like a year. I was exhausted and hadn’t taken a proper holiday in 10 years.”

To recharge both physically and mentally, Markin began a health journey, walking daily between Kaleden and Okanagan Falls.

“I walked back and forth four to six times a week,” he said. “It was just over nine kilometres each way and took me more than two hours. In a year, I walked over 1,700 kilometres. After walking around a barber’s chair for almost 20 years, I needed to move differently.”

He’s worked all his life, starting at age 12 on the fishing boat. His father’s advice stuck with him: “Son, if you can’t get up in the morning feeling good about going to work, it’s time to change jobs.”

That mindset led him through a variety of careers. At 67, he earned his Class 1 driver’s license to operate tractor-trailers. He joined a three-man trucking team, making trips from Calgary to Houston, Texas — 42-hour journeys with only fuel stops and driver swaps.

“It was demanding,” he admitted. “I did three trips, and that was enough.”

Next, he took a job in Kamloops, driving shuttle buses for Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railway crews.

“That was great,” he said. “I drove crews all over B.C. in large one-ton vans.”

In July, a barber friend invited him back into the trade at Barber Bill’s in Summerland.

“Things were going well, but I was still living in Okanagan Falls and commuting, which made for long days and high fuel costs,” he said.

That’s when Markin decided it was time to open his own shop again. He began scouting locations in Penticton and noticed a vacant storefront on Westminster Avenue — the former home of Nino’s Barber Shop, which had been in business for almost 20 years.

“I drove by every day and saw it was still empty. I contacted the landlady, and two days before Christmas, we had a great phone conversation and worked out a deal,” he said.

After completing some renovations, Daniel’s Blue Ribbon Barber Shop officially opened on March 1.

“I wanted to call it Blue Ribbon Barber Shop because my shop in OK Falls had won awards, and I just liked how it sounded.”

Business has been steady. Several former clients from his days in OK Falls, Penticton, and Summerland have already returned.

“I’ve been lucky enough to get back a few old regulars,” he said. “But, like any new business, it takes time.”

While many people look toward retirement at 68, Markin feels rejuvenated owning his shop again.

“If you can get up every morning and meet new people, it’s just a great way to spend your day,” he said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed doing this.”

His own barber growing up didn’t retire until age 85 — and that’s become his new benchmark.

Markin shared that he caught nearly $1,200 worth of fish at age 15 in Prince Rupert, enough to buy his first car before he was old enough to drive it.

“I had three jobs that summer,” he said. “I had a goal to buy my own car, and I made it happen.”

At 18, he took his uncle’s advice and applied for a job at the local airport, launching a 23-year career with Transport Canada, working at airports across the country.

“I started as an equipment operator, then became a foreman, supervisor, manager and eventually handled capital works — building and repairing airport terminals. It was a fantastic career that let me travel all over this beautiful country.”

After years of vacationing in Penticton, he made the move in 2002, leaving behind the isolation of Prince Rupert.

“I had always wanted to be a barber. And when you’re a barber, you can work anywhere in the world,” he said. “So I came to Penticton, took the apprenticeship, and have called the Okanagan home ever since.”

Barbering brings him a sense of satisfaction he never found in office jobs.

“I can instantly see the results of my work,” he said.

“I used to manage projects and push paper, and while I worked hard, it was hard to see the outcome. With cutting hair, it’s immediate — and I know I made someone feel and look better.”

While most of his clients are men, he also welcomes women who prefer shorter, tapered cuts.

“I have both my hairdresser and barber licenses, but I prefer barbering — clippers and comb, the old-fashioned way.”

At 68, Markin has no plans to slow down.

“I’ll be doing this until I’m 80, maybe 85,” he laughed. “I’m not going anywhere. I just love it.”

His mother lives in Pitt Meadows, and his four children are peppered across Canada. He visits his mom regularly, and his kids vacation with him once a year.

“I’ve lived in more cities and towns than I can remember through my work with Transport Canada. This is the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place. There must be something special about the South Okanagan.”

Daniel’s Blue Ribbon Barber Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays. If business picks up, Markin hopes to hire a second barber and reduce his own schedule to three days a week. 

For more information or to book an appointment visit the barber shop's website here.

— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald

News from © iNFOnews, 2025