b'FASHION SPOTLIGHT\x1f\x1f\x1f\x1e\x1d\x1c\x1b\x1a\x1e\x19\x18 JENNIFER DUBOIS BUILDINGFOUNDER OF MIYOSIWIN SALON SPA In 2017, Jennifer Dubois opened the doors to Miyosiwin Salon COMMUNITIESSpa, a space in downtown Regina dedicated to celebrating Indigenous styles. Three years on, the business continues to expand its customer base and serve as a connecting point between Indigenous culture and the community at large. Since weve WHERE WE BUILD BUILDINGS. opened, weve worked hard to let people know that this isnt just a space for Indigenous people, says Dubois. We welcome every-body here, and we take the time to learn about peoples cultures in terms of how they take care of their hair and spa services.Raising public awareness is just one of the challenges Dubois team has faced. In April 2018, a fire at a cafe next door spread to the Miyosiwin Salon Spa, forcing it to shut down for repairs for nearly a year. Still, while the event put the future of Dubois business in jeopardy, it also served as motivation for the team to push harder upon reopening. Moreover, Dubois adds, In a sense, the fire helped spread the word to non-Indigenous resi-dents that we were here in the middle of Regina, so after we reopened, I focused on just trying to gain more of the support in the Regina community.The 2020 pandemic was equally disruptive. In March, the spa was forced to shut down for two months, prompting Dubois and her team to shift their focus to selling retail products and gift certificates through Miyosiwin Salon Spas website. The spa st. johnshalifaxsaint johnwabushmontrealottawa has since been allowed to reopen (with several restrictions), torontowinnipegcalgaryedmontonvancouver but the teams online success during those down months has prompted a new approach.26A CCAB PUBLICATION2020'