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Archiver > ONTARIO > 2006-01 > 1137457523


From: " Harry Rose" <>
Subject: Fw: [ONT] Eatons of Canada
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:25:23 -0700


This originally went to kiigma when the intention was to send it to Ontario
itself.

Harry.
----- Original Message -----
From: " Harry Rose" <>
To: "kiigma" <>
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 12:09 PM
Subject: Re: [ONT] Eatons of Canada


> Hi Folks: For what it is worth, I think that this is somewhat of a
> listing of events with respect to much of the discussion. Years ago,
> (how many, I can't say when they began) there was a Robert Simpson main
> store at Queen and Young streets in Toronto, Across the street on the
> north side of Queen was the T. Eaton company main store. The only real
> connection between the two was an underground tunnel to allow one to pass
> from one to the other without going street side. (Safety of shoppers).
> Other Eaton and Simpson Stores were opened across the country in the
> larger cities. In addition, both opened up catalogue shopping as well.
> Actually Eaton's actually sold full house package by catalogue at least on
> the prairies.
>
> About 1965 (give or take) Sears Roebuck fromm the USA, bought into and
> then bought out completely the Simpson chain. and some of the stores in
> many locations became Simpson-Sears. I distinctly remember shopping in
> one on Lawrence Ave East in Scarborough. Shortly thereafter, about 1967
> when I moved to Saskatchewan from Ontario, the Simpson name disappeared
> from store fonts with the exception of the Simpson Store at Queen and
> Young Street in Toronto.
>
> Around the same time as Sears catalogue service grew, Eaton's
> discontinued their catalogue department.
> During this time the Hudson's Bay Stores located primarily in the west
> with the possible exception of Montreal (not verified) began opening
> stores in the suburbs of Toronto etc under the name of The Bay. Zellers
> was still an separate entity to my knowledge., as was Woolworth's and
> Kresgies. and a number of other small chains. Woolworth's became Woolco
> (now Wal-Mart), some Kresgies became K-Mart and are noiw gone and Zeller's
> came under the control of The Bay. It was called mergers.
>
> In much more recent times, the Eaton Family for whatever reason,
> probably money connected, and competition problems, decided to close
> their retail business completely. Many of the Eaton stores were taken over
> in some locations by one of the other chains, including the Bay, and for a
> brief time, around 1999, Sears Canada produced a "Eaton's Catalogue" amied
> at higher end merchandise as far as I could see, however this never really
> continued.
>
> A bit of trivia that many might not be aware of was the fact that
> Eaton's had a wholly owned small chain in the more rural / small town
> locations around the 1950's which sold under the name of Canadian
> Department stores, but Eaton brands could be found, but not generally
> known as Eaton's I can recall shopping in one in Picton Ontario in the
> early 1950's
> Of course today we see a vast change in all of the retail outlets of
> this nature and who knows what will take place down the road. "Ah the
> benefits of BIG BIG Business and the influence of money and shareholders
> in todays economy.
>
> I hope this gives just a small amount of the flavour of the changes
> back then.
>
> Harry, in cool but wet, (sometimes rainy) Cranbrook BC.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "kiigma" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 6:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [ONT] Eatons of Canada
>
>
>> You may be thinking of Simpsons-Sears. The Robert Simpson Co was the
>> other big family owned business and they affiliated themselves with
>> Sears.
>> Both Eatons and Simpsons had a large catalogue business. Simpsons went
>> first and Sears took over for them. I may be wrong, but I believe it was
>> The Bay who Eatons hooked up with at the tail end to try and save things.
>> Sadly now even they are in jeopardy. Pretty soon I will have no place to
>> shop. :-( They may have hooked up with Sears as far as the catalogue
>> facility was concerned as the Bay didn't do catalogue ordering, but I'm
>> sure the main contact was The Bay. Our local Eatons store became a
>> Zellers.
>>
>> The Eatons also owned the property in King where the Seneca College
>> outdoor centre is now. There is another place in Mississauga, just above
>> Dundas that is now a fancy restaurant/inn ('can't for the life of me
>> think of the name). The Eaton family gave over the use of a lot of their
>> houses for convalescent hospitals during WWI.
>>
>> Katie
>>
>>
>> pic wrote:
>>
>>>Did not Eatons and Sears do business together?
>>>
>>>Thought there was an Eatons Sears in St. Catharines.
>>>
>>>Pat C
>>>= = = = = = = = = = = = =
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ==== ONTARIO Mailing List ====
>> *** Ontario GenWeb ***
>> http://www.geneofun.on.ca/ongenweb/
>>
>>
>


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