“A Bike Story” 75 jaar Canadian Tire 1922 – 1997

The first Canadian Tire store opened on September 15, 1922, in Toronto, Ontario, by brothers AJ & JW Billes. In 1913, there were only 23.700 cars in all of Canada. But by 1922, the number in Ontario alone had grown to 210.333. That year, the brothers used their combined savings of $1800 to purchase Hamilton Tire and Garage Ltd. in East Toronto. The brothers also started a warehouse stocking spare parts for the two most popular cars of the time: tires, batteries, and homemade antifreeze. A large part of their first income came from renting out parking spaces in their heated garage. A necessity in those days if a car had to be started on a cold morning.

Responding to the customer's question

In 1927, people from all over the country began writing to the store looking for auto parts that were hard to come by in the vast territories. In response to these developments and to meet market demand, the brothers produced their first catalog in 1928, featuring tires and prices on one side and a handy route map to their company on the other. Today, the annual Canadian Tire catalog is distributed to approximately 9 million households. In English and French.

The quality guarantee

The stock market crash of October 1929 resulted in a severe depression for Canada. Despite the hard times, and perhaps even because of the crash, Canadian Tire flourished. There were more than a million cars in Canada in 1930. And rather than buying a new car, people repaired their vehicles and “shopped” at Canadian Tire for their necessary parts. Canadian Tire introduced their “super-lastic” tire warranty, offering a more comprehensive warranty on tires than just the manufacturer's warranty for the first time in Canada!

Development of the dealer network

In 1934, Canadian Tire opened its first official network store in Hamilton. From here, a nationwide dealer network was developed over time. By the end of the last century, 391 dealers operated across 430 stores. These entrepreneurs collectively played an active national role by sponsoring the local economy and association activities and programs. The Canadian Tire Associate Dealers provide jobs for more than 28000 Canadians.

Canadian Tire rewards its customers

The 50s was a period of intense competition among companies in North America that wanted to supply parts to the automotive industry. To bind customers to the newly opened gas stations and encourage them to purchase parts at Canadian Tire stores, Canadian Tire “Money” was introduced. These vouchers were issued to customers of the gas stations, and later (early 60s) also at other Canadian Tire stores. Today, the vouchers are available nationally, making them the most beloved and popular loyalty program in Canada.

Recognition of Canada's largest investment

Because community involvement is a long Canadian Tire tradition, the focus shifted to the health and safety of Canadian children in 1989 through the establishment of the Child Protection Program. In 1993, a partnership was formed between Fire Prevention Canada, the Canadian Tire Child Protection Foundation, and the National Fire Protection Association. The Canadian Tire Child Protection Foundation funded the program at a cost of $890.000 over a three-year period and made 13.000 sets of materials available to all primary schools throughout Canada. An image from the national television campaign “A Bike Story”.

A commercial success

Around the turn of the century, Canadian Tire ran the national television campaign “A Bike Story,” which is about a young boy who longs for a bicycle from the Canadian Tire catalog. The male role was played by Canadian actor Ted Simonett, and Gloria Slade played the female role. They usually showed off a new product to their neighbors who were in need of a specific item. The 'Canadian Tire Couple' was once characterized as “Canada’s most annoying couple.”