Disappearing Brands in Canadian Hinterland

Okay, so while I was sleeping, ScotTowels got renamed "SpongeTowels" and Radio Shack morphed into "The Source."

Not that I really care what brand of paper towels I use, but Scott Paper has a long history in Canada, so it alters your mindset a bit. Like when online friends change their handles, so you no longer recognize them when you bump into them in message forums and chat rooms.

And Radio Shack? Well, that's such a familiar brand. I've always been aware it was a U.S. brand, but the stores are so ubiqitous in Canada, I never thought the parent company would just tell them to stop using the name one day.

Peter Rukavina does a nice job of tracing the history of Radio Shack and Scott Paper.

Other household names that have disappeared in recent years:

IGA
Eaton's
The Progressive Conversative Party (oh wait, they resurfaced)
Woolco
Sam the Record Man (still alive in Toronto)

Got any more to add to the list?

Comments

[Dwight Williams]

Speaking of the Progressive Conservatives, it often seems to me as if the New Conservatives got the nickname handed to them without the question of whether they had a right to it even being asked...and the Progressive Canadian Party got just about everything else that mattered about the original Tories.

I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

[Peter Rukavina]

I thought that Dominion grocery stores, a fixture of my youth, had disappeared, but I saw one off the QEW in Mississauga last time I was in Toronto (I think they might still exist in Newfoundland as well).

Are there any Miracle Marts left? They were another big Ontario grocery chain.

Gambles was a discount store in Brantford, Ontario near my grandmother's house; I think they're all gone now (I don't recall ever seeing another one, but it seemed chain-like).

What about Stedmans? Interesting story: if you go to Verona, Ontario, just north of Kingston, you may still find "Mansteads," which used to be Stedmans until they dis-affiliated with the chain and rearranged the letters in their sign to save money.

It seems that most of the banks in Canada have reduced themselves to abbreviation-like names: Toronto Dominion is "TD Canada Trust," "Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce" is "CIBC," "Bank of Montreal" is "BMO Financial Group," "Royal Bank of Canada" is "RBC."

And of course there's Mother's Pizza, a Hamilton-area chain. Ate a lot of good pizza there in the 70s and 80s.

[Dwight again]

Dominion survives in downtown Toronto as well, on Yonge Street not too far from the old Gardens. I keep meaning to drop in on them whenever I visit the neighbourhood during comics convention season.

Ottawa, though, is still another kettle of fish. Their trucks supply select stores operating under other names here, but no stores operate under the Dominion name in the National Capital Region that I know of. Annoying, for several reasons.

Does the Saan name ring any bells in this day and age?

[Eric Eggertson]

Woolworth's was big in Western Canada, but they disappeared eons ago.

And what about Massey Ferguson? A huge name in farm equipment. Is there a vestige of a company left?

[Judy Gombita]

IGA does still exist in many parts of Canada, Eric. Here's a store locator map for your use:

http://www.igayourhometownadvantage.ca/

I noticed there is one in Gimli... ;-)

Note that the Canadian IGA franchise was bought out by Sobeys a few years ago, although the majority of stores continue to operate under the IGA banner. (There is a large one down the street from our office. It even boasts free, underground parking. You have to go down a really steep and scary ramp to access it, but whatever.)

The boiler plate from a recent Sobeys' news release:

Sobeys Inc., (TSX: SBY) headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, is a leading national grocery retailer and food distributor. The Company owns or franchises more than 1,300 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA extra, IGA, Commisso's and Price Chopper. Sobeys Inc. is committed to providing the most worthwhile experience for its customers, employees, franchisees, suppliers and shareholders. More information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at www.sobeys.com.

And, yes, I still like the flagship/only Sam the Record Man store in TO.

[Dwight again]

Woolworth/Woolco was big just about everywhere in Canada that had a large retail presence...and I have to admit to still being sad over the loss.