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Dominion Stores (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Dominion Stores was once a national chain of supermarket
s in Canada
, which was still known as the Dominion of Canada at the time of the company's founding. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by Conrad Black
's Argus Corporation. It was later sold to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
(A&P), which ultimately restricted the chain to the Greater Toronto Area
, with stores outside Ontario sold to third parties. A&P's Canadian division was later acquired by Metro Inc., which rebranded the remaining Dominion stores to its namesake banner in 2008.
and 61 stores a year later. In 1929 it tried to acquire a stake in Loblaws, but the stock market crashed ended the growth.
During the Depression, Dominion lost both founders. Jackson went bankrupt and Pentland was killed in an auto accident in 1933.
Dominon's leadership was not resolved until 1939, when J. William Horsey became President. He in turn sold Dominion to Argus Corporation. Smaller stores were consolidated from 574 to 195 by 1954. In the 1950s, Dominion began to build large stores with airy ceilings and large glass fronts. The chain also expanded beyond Toronto to other parts of Ontario, Québec and Newfoundland.
Competition in the 1970s forced the chain to discount and would lead to the collapse in the 1980s.
, from Argus in 1985. A&P subsequently rebranded all its stores in the Greater Toronto Area
as Dominion stores (absorbing Miracle Food Mart
), while Dominion locations elsewhere in Southern Ontario took the A&P name.
The territory of Dominion stores as compared to that of other stores owned by A&P, and later Metro, was approximately the following: the City of Toronto
; York Region, excluding Stouffville; the Cities of Mississauga and Oakville
; and the Cities of Pickering
and Ajax
.
In northwestern Ontario
, Safeway
acquired at least two stores in Thunder Bay
. (Incidentally, it is Safeway's presence in Thunder Bay which prevents Metro from offering Air Miles
at its Thunder Bay locations.)
In Western Canada
, Dominion stores were simply closed, leaving many suburban shopping mall
s scrambling to fill large, now-vacant sections. This event, coupled with the subsequent collapse of several department store
chains, sparked a wave of mall renovations in many parts of the country. Alberta stores went to Safeway
in the late 1960s.
The remainder of the chain in eastern Canada was ultimately acquired by Loblaw Companies
, albeit through several unrelated transactions:
area, acquired A&P Canada from the U.S.-based parent company effective August 15, 2005. A&P initially retained a minority ownership share of the combined company.
On August 7, 2008, Metro announced it would invest $200 million consolidating the company's conventional food stores under the Metro banner. Over a period of 15 months, all stores were to be converted to the Metro name, beginning with the Dominion stores in the Toronto area.
Dominion's distribution centres were located in Toronto
and Mississauga retained the old Dominion banner until 2009.
Greater Toronto Area:
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which was still known as the Dominion of Canada at the time of the company's founding. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by Conrad Black
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
's Argus Corporation. It was later sold to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, is a supermarket and liquor store chain in the United States. Its supermarkets, which are under six different banners, are found in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. A&P's liquor stores, known as...
(A&P), which ultimately restricted the chain to the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, with stores outside Ontario sold to third parties. A&P's Canadian division was later acquired by Metro Inc., which rebranded the remaining Dominion stores to its namesake banner in 2008.
History
Dominion store started from one Toronto store on May 23, 1919. The store was founded by American businessmen Robert Jackson of New Hampshire and William J. Pentland of Connecticut. Pentland was manager of A&P stores in Connecticut and was hired by Jackson. By the end of 1919 they had a 20 store chain with 18 acquired from rival LoblawsLoblaws
Loblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
and 61 stores a year later. In 1929 it tried to acquire a stake in Loblaws, but the stock market crashed ended the growth.
During the Depression, Dominion lost both founders. Jackson went bankrupt and Pentland was killed in an auto accident in 1933.
Dominon's leadership was not resolved until 1939, when J. William Horsey became President. He in turn sold Dominion to Argus Corporation. Smaller stores were consolidated from 574 to 195 by 1954. In the 1950s, Dominion began to build large stores with airy ceilings and large glass fronts. The chain also expanded beyond Toronto to other parts of Ontario, Québec and Newfoundland.
Competition in the 1970s forced the chain to discount and would lead to the collapse in the 1980s.
Breakup
Dominion Stores had been acquired by A&P's Canadian division, A&P CanadaA&P Canada
A&P Canada was a Canadian supermarket company from 1927 to 2009.In 1927, A&P opened its first stores in Canada. By 1929, A&P was present in 200 communities in Ontario and Quebec....
, from Argus in 1985. A&P subsequently rebranded all its stores in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
as Dominion stores (absorbing Miracle Food Mart
Miracle Food Mart
Miracle Food Mart was a supermarket chain in Ontario, Canada, owned by Steinberg's, a Quebec-based retailer in the 1970s and 1980s.Steinberg purchased the Grand Union chain of 38 stores in June 1959 to make its entrance into the Ontario market. These stores operated unter the Steinberg banner until...
), while Dominion locations elsewhere in Southern Ontario took the A&P name.
The territory of Dominion stores as compared to that of other stores owned by A&P, and later Metro, was approximately the following: the City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; York Region, excluding Stouffville; the Cities of Mississauga and Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
; and the Cities of Pickering
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
and Ajax
Ajax, Ontario
Ajax is a town in the Durham Region in the Greater Toronto Area.The town is named for the HMS Ajax a Royal Navy cruiser that served in World War II. Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the...
.
In northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
, Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
acquired at least two stores in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
. (Incidentally, it is Safeway's presence in Thunder Bay which prevents Metro from offering Air Miles
Air Miles
Air Miles is the name of separately operated loyalty programs in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain , the Netherlands and the Middle East, through which points are earned on purchases at participating merchants.-History:...
at its Thunder Bay locations.)
In Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, Dominion stores were simply closed, leaving many suburban shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s scrambling to fill large, now-vacant sections. This event, coupled with the subsequent collapse of several department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chains, sparked a wave of mall renovations in many parts of the country. Alberta stores went to Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
in the late 1960s.
The remainder of the chain in eastern Canada was ultimately acquired by Loblaw Companies
Loblaw Companies
Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,400 supermarkets operating under a variety of regional banners, including the namesake Loblaws. LCL is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario...
, albeit through several unrelated transactions:
- NewfoundlandNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
: Dominion stores in Newfoundland were sold to local owners, who then resold them to Loblaw in 1995. The Newfoundland locations are the only ones to continue under the Dominion banner to this day; see Dominion Stores (Newfoundland). - New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
: Shortly after the A&P acquisition, these stores were sold to Food Group Inc., which operated them under the VillageVillage Food StoresVillage Food Stores was a chain of supermarkets operating in New Brunswick, Canada, between 1987 and 1995. The chain was formed by wholesaler The Food Group Inc...
banner until they themselves were sold to Loblaw and merged into its Atlantic SuperstoreAtlantic SuperstoreAtlantic Superstore is a Canadian supermarket chain of 54 stores in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
unit in 1995. - Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
: These locations were sold to Oshawa GroupOshawa GroupOshawa Group was once a leading owner of supermarkets in Ontario, but it was sold to Sobeys in 1998.Stores under Oshawa Group included:* IGA* Tradition Market Fresh Food* Knechtel* Pharma Plus Drug Stores...
and became IGAIGA (supermarkets)IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...
stores. However, after SobeysSobeysSobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
purchased Oshawa in 1999, Loblaw took over IGA's Atlantic CanadaAtlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
locations due to competitive concerns. - QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
: Dominion stores in Quebec had been sold to ProvigoProvigoProvigo is a grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada, consisting of over 300 stores and franchises throughout the province. A majority of the stores are located in the Montreal area. It is owned by Loblaw Companies Limited. Provigo is similar to Ontario's Your Independent Grocer/Zehrs banners, as...
in 1983; Provigo was itself acquired by Loblaw in 1998.
Recent history and demise
Metro, which previously operated solely in Quebec and the OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
area, acquired A&P Canada from the U.S.-based parent company effective August 15, 2005. A&P initially retained a minority ownership share of the combined company.
On August 7, 2008, Metro announced it would invest $200 million consolidating the company's conventional food stores under the Metro banner. Over a period of 15 months, all stores were to be converted to the Metro name, beginning with the Dominion stores in the Toronto area.
Dominion's distribution centres were located in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Mississauga retained the old Dominion banner until 2009.
Slogans
- "Mainly because of the meat"
- "We're Fresh Obsessed"
- "There's a definite difference at Dominion"
- "We do that little bit more"
Stores
List of stores in the Ontario:Greater Toronto Area:
- 174 Wallace Avenue - first store
- 779 Queen Street East - second store
- City Hall Market on Queen Street West - discontinued 1960s
- 614 Rogers Road near Keele Street - site now a mall and Value Village store
- York Mills Road and Bayview Avenue -> opened 1952 as Dominion Market
- 1277 York Mills Road -> converted to Food Basics
- Finch Avenue East and Leslie Street - Sunny Supermarket
- College Square at Yonge Street and College Street -> converted as Metro
- Thornhill Square (Bayview Avenue & John Street) -> converted to Food Basics
- Don Mills Shopping Centre at Lawrence Avenue East and Don Mills Road -> converted as Metro
- Kennedy Commons at Kennedy Road and Highway 401 -> converted as Metro
- Markington Square at Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue East
- Lawrence Avenue West & Keele Street -> converted as Metro
- Lawrence Avenue West & Bathurst Street -> converted as Metro
- Wilson Avenue & Keele Street -> converted as Metro
- Yonge Street & Church Street -> converted as Metro
- The Villages of Abbey Lane (Rylander Boulevard) -> now a Shoppers Drug Mart
- Sheppard Avenue West & Bathurst Street -> converted as Metro
- Yonge Street & Sheppard Avenue East -> converted to Metro, now demolished
- Woodside Square, McCowan Road and Finch Aveue East, converted to a Dominion Save-A-Centre (before Dominion's demise), now a Food Basics in another part of the mall (formerly Zellers/Pascal Furniture)
- Kipling Avenue at The Westway -> now Food Basics
- Islington Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard (Rexdale Plaza) -> demolished
- 89 Gould Street, Toronto
- Ajax, Ajax Market Place -> converted to Metro, now Food Basics
- Aurora, Aurora Village
- Burlington, Appleby Mall -> became a Mr. Grocer, then Fortino's
- Burlington, Burlington Mall (777 Guelph Line)
- Mississauga, Applewood Village Plaza
- Mississauga, Clarkson Crossing
- Mississauga, Derry Road & 10th Line
- Mississauga, Iona Square
- Mississauga, Lakeshore Plaza
- Mississauga, Meadowvale Town Centre
- Mississauga, Roseborough Centre
- Mississauga, Sheridan Place
- Mississauga, Westdale Mall -> converted to Metro, now closed
- Newmarket, Yonge Street & Mulock Road
- Newmarket, Dominion Plus Centre
- Newmarket, 404 Town Centre
- Oakville, Hopedale Mall
- Oakville, Oakville Town Centre I
- Oakville, Rio Can Centre (Dundas Street/Neyagawa)
- Oakville, Trafalgar Mall -> became A&P, converted to Food Basics, now closed
- Oakville, Upper Oakville Shopping Centre
- Pickering, Amberlea Shopping Centre
Head offices
- 174 Wallace Avenue 1919-1924 - residential development
- Soho and Phoebe Street 1924-1945 - old Weston Bakeryl; now residential neighbourhood Soho Square
- Rogers Road and Keele 1945-1970s - old York Arsenal; now Value Village store
- The West Mall 1970s-2008; now Metro Distribution Centre
Key people
- J. William Pentland - co-founder
- Robert Jackson - co-founder
- J. William Horsey - President
- John A. McDougaldJohn A. McDougaldJohn Angus "Bud" McDougald was a leading Canadian businessman and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses.Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was universally known by the nickname, "Bud". The son of a wealthy investment banker, after working as a stockbroker for Dominion Securities, in 1945 Bud McDougald...
- financier and controlling interest in 1940s to 1970s - E.P. Taylor
- Conrad BlackConrad BlackConrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
See also
- List of Canadian supermarketsSupermarkets in CanadaThis is a list of supermarket chains in Canada. For supermarkets operating in other countries, see List of supermarkets.-Major chains:*Costco*Jim Pattison Group operates**Bulkley Valley Wholesale**Buy-Low Foods**Cooper's Foods...
- Metro Inc.
- A&P CanadaA&P CanadaA&P Canada was a Canadian supermarket company from 1927 to 2009.In 1927, A&P opened its first stores in Canada. By 1929, A&P was present in 200 communities in Ontario and Quebec....
- Hart v Dominion Stores and Coca Cola Ltd. 1968 1 O.R. 775: Customer injured by flying glass from exploding bottle.