Alberta tattoo artists pay tribute to laser removal expert who helped people move past trauma | CBC News

A beloved figure in Alberta’s tattoo scene who was known for helping young people get a fresh start is being remembered at this year’s Edmonton’s Tattoo and Arts Festival.

Ben Alway, a local tattoo removal specialist, died in March. The tattoo show this Friday will have artists coming together to pay tribute to him, remembering his generosity and vibrant personality.

The show’s annual “bad tattoo competition,” where attendees show off the worst ink they have, has been renamed the Ben Alway Memorial Bad Tattoo Contest.

Alway used to sponsor the contest, offering free laser removal sessions for winners.

The competition comes with a sense of humour, but Alway was also known for giving free tattoo removal to people who needed to get rid of traumatic reminders of their past.

Social workers and outreach teams would bring clients to Alway if they needed help with tattoos they couldn’t afford to get rid of.

Some people might be trying to change their life after coming out of prison, but struggling to land a job with gang markings tattooed in places they can’t cover up, like their face and hands.

Mark Cherrington, an advocate with the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, would seek Alway’s help when he worked with young women tattooed without their consent by pimps or abusive partners.

Alway told CBC’s Edmonton AM in 2017 about that work, saying he didn’t want people stuck with tattoos that are highly visible roadblocks to changing their life.

He explained that the removal process, while painful, can be part of healing.

“Ultimately, the way I see it is, if it’s something for me that might take very little time or I have the capacity to do it, and it has the ability to perhaps change someone’s life in a profound way, why not?” he said.

“We all have the responsibility to the greater idea, not just of that person, but the community we want to live in.”

Cherrington told CBC News on Wednesday that he hopes other removal specialists will keep helping people for free, but that Alway had an especially compassionate approach that can’t be replaced.

“His personality just really fit well with vulnerable people,” Cherrington said.

“Someone [else] might be willing and able, but they might just not have the nuances and the personality to gain that instant trust that the women and girls I work with need.”

Jen Mills worked with Alway at his business Second Skin Tattoo Removal for years. It was acquired by a larger chain, Removery, in 2021.

Mills said in a message to CBC News Alway’s legacy carries on with those who worked alongside him. 

“The three surviving members of Second Skin, now Removery … continue his to keep his passion, integrity, knowledge and individuality alive,” she said.

“Ben was a pioneer in the laser tattoo industry and we are very blessed to have had access to his mind for many years.”

Edmonton Tattoo and Arts Festival organizer Steve Peace told CBC’s Radio Active on Thursday that even though Alway was an expert at removing tattoos, he had a “tattoo positive” approach. He was a go-to guy for removal among Alberta’s tattoo community, helping them get rid of poorly done or dated work so they could replace it with something new.

But offering his work for free, Peace said, speaks to a bigger part of Alway’s character.

“It would have been nothing to Ben to offer a quick session … where to [the client], it’s the world. It changes their life,” he said.

For Alberta artists and the tattoo community, this year’s festival will be a time to honour someone who was a fixture at the show each year.

The first day of this year’s convention “Tracksuit Day,” is encouraging exhibitors and attendees to show up in a tracksuit, reminiscent of Alway’s signature style at the event.

“I think it’ll hit us [at the show],” Peace said.

“He was friendly and kind on top of being a good business person. The business is all great and everything, but we’re definitely remembering the person. … One of our favourite people to run into every year.”