‘Treasured’ Kitchener barber being mourned after fatal crash
Posted Jul 9, 2025 03:27:07 PM.
Last Updated Jul 10, 2025 06:25:57 AM.
There’s been an outpouring of compassion from the community after a Canada Day weekend crash near Perth, Ont., claimed the life of a Kitchener man.
On June 28, Brendan Wharton was driving on Highway 7 between McQuaid Road and Silver Lake Provincial Park when his vehicle collided with a coach bus. The driver of the bus sustained minor injuries, the passengers of the bus were not injured, but Wharton was killed.
A GoFundMe post said that he was a “treasured” person, a “dog dad” to Shadow and Kelso, but “his most important role” was being a life partner to Alaya.
“Anyone who knew him also knew how much he loved Alaya, his soulmate and best friend,” the fundraiser reads. “Brendan and Alaya had a home together, two dogs together, and a life together.”
In the days following the crash, The Green Room Barbershop in Kitchener, Wharton’s place of work, shared a touching tribute to one of their team members.
On Instagram, his colleagues said, “Brendan was more than just a barber. He was a light in the shop – a natural comedian whose energy lifted every room he entered.”
A GoFundMe started to cover the costs of Wharton’s funeral has raised more than $54,000.
