PORT HARDY, B.C. – Residents looking to get some new ink on the North Island are in luck.
A new tattoo shop has opened up on Market Street in Port Hardy.
Owner and artist of Beacon Tattoo Co. Patrick Berube said setting up shop in the area was the perfect fit for him and his family.
“My wife and I, we met in Vancouver and then we moved to Edmonton, but we always knew that we weren’t going to be staying there. We always wanted to come back to the coast,” he said.
“Coincidentally, her mom and her husband live out here, so we just figured we could be closer to the family and be back to the coast.”
Berube said he’s been working in the industry for almost 18 years. In addition to his tattoo work, he paints, and has some of his pieces displayed at the new Market Street studio.
“I figured that I can’t tattoo forever, so I try to keep myself busy with other art that I’m sure I can retire into, and hopefully make a career out of painting or if I can get into other mediums. I can’t ever stop doing art,” he said.
“In the front room, I do have a few paintings. I have some farm animals up, some skateboard decks and just some general information in different types of fonts that you can get as a style of tattooing.”
The new business solely does tattoo work, but Berube is optimistic that they can expand.
“I’m hoping that in the future, we will be able to bring up a few of our friends so that way it will help save people the trip of going down Island to either get piercings or other tattoos. Hopefully being up here is doing everyone a favour,” he said.
“I’m just hoping to provide a space for these types of artists to do something and hopefully it will help build up a reputation in the sense of knowing that they (customers) can come and, every now and then, there will be someone to do other styles of tattooing or body piercings.”
Berube explained that if someone wants to get a tattoo, he likes to do a consultation to iron out the details of their tattoo. Following that, an appointment can be booked with a deposit.
The new business is located at #10-7070 Market Street in Port Hardy.
Beacon Tattoo Co. is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Customers must be 18 years of age or older to get a tattoo.
For more details on the shop, visit the Beacon Tattoo Co. Facebook page.
Examples of Berube’s work can also be found on Instagram.
