CELEBRATING

SINCE 1961

YEARS

# 373 | MAY 4, 2021

Send us your stories! All Tiger Tales submissions should be emailed to

tigertales@gianttiger.com

SUBMISSIONS

The man who started it all 3

Happy 60th, Team Tiger! 12

What’s happening? 14

GT in the community 15

From our customers 17

Special messages 19

CONTENTS

Store 1 in Ottawa’s historic Byward Market (1968 - source unknown)

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Hi everyone,When I opened the first Giant Tiger store in 1961, my vision was to bring to Canada the type of discount store that I was seeing in the US when I was a travelling salesman.

I do remember a feeling of disappointment on that very first opening day as our sales were much less than I expected. But with the hard work and perseverance of our associates at the time, we were able to slowly increase our sales and become more successful.

The efforts of so many of you over the years have been instrumental in making Giant Tiger the success that it is today.

Here we are, 60 years later, and that vision is being lived across 258 stores, and multiple distribution centres/offices.

None of this would be possible without the continuing commitment and dedication of our over 10,000 employees. I am forever grateful to each of you for choosing to make Giant Tiger part of your life. Thank you!

One employee in particular has many years of exceptional service under his belt. Here’s a hint: he has a familiar whiskered face and you all know him.

Our original tiger back in the early 60s was not as friendly looking as the one you see today. He was a late addition to our original advertisement after a last minute name change to the company just days before we opened. It was later felt that a different look would be more welcoming to families shopping in our stores, so we hired on a new tiger named Friendly. He was named after a children’s show called Friendly Giant and became Friendly, the Giant Tiger who has been working here almost as long as I have.

This issue of Tiger Tales will feature many exciting memories from throughout the years. You’ll see some throwback photos and hear from some employees (both past and present) and hopefully you will learn more about what brought us to where we are today.

Be well and stay safe.

Gordon Reid

Gordon Reid

GUEST EDITOR'S NOTE MR. REID

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As Giant Tiger celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are unable to hold celebrations like we normally would have due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s not the celebrations themselves that are important. The most important element of significant milestones like this is to take the opportunity to reflect on what they represent.

For Giant Tiger, our 60th reflects the customer focused efforts of thousands of members of Team Tiger serving many communities for six decades. But this milestone is also a testament and enduring legacy of the hard work and vision of Mr. Reid that built this Canadian retail success story from the ground up on the concepts that people love a great deal and that saving money is fun! Mr. Reid’s focus on the customer and on ensuring the team was consistently providing them an assortment of products for their everyday needs and more at the lowest possible price in each market in a neat, clean and bright environment remains at the core of our business today.

The simple straightforward principles of the unique franchise model Mr. Reid designed have been carried forward successfully in a spirit of partnership with our franchise owners. A culture of hard work, financial stability and “thinking like an owner” as a result, that system has maintained an alignment of effort and built a successful company and great place to work. And while our business has and will continue to develop, grow and improve, it’s the core values Mr. Reid instilled over these years that have provided the solid foundation and basis on which we build the way forward.

So, while we look back on 60 years and celebrate this milestone with gratitude and congratulations to Mr. Reid, I am also very excited to look ahead at where Giant Tiger is going and what we collectively can achieve while staying true to our roots. I am privileged to be able to lead Giant Tiger at this very exciting time in our history and am thankful to Mr. Reid and the Reid family for this opportunity and responsibility.

My wife Beth joins me in sending our congratulations and best wishes for a very happy 60th anniversary to Mr. Reid and the Reid family, and to all of Team Tiger! Our success has been and will continue to be a team effort.

Paul D. WoodPresident & CEOGiant Tiger Stores Limited

Paul D. Wood

MESSAGE FROM PAUL WOOD

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THE MANWHO STARTED IT ALLNearly 260 stores, multiple offices and distribution centres, and over 10,000 employees. There is one person to thank for starting it all and leading us to where we are today.

Check out some fun stories – and a selection of historical GT photos – from throughout the years. On behalf of Team Tiger, thank you Mr. Reid – and congratulations on 60 years!

“Mr. Reid has been a huge part of my development at Giant Tiger. Every time he would walk in my store, he always had his focus on what the customer sees, wants and buys. He would always tour with me and question many things that I hadn't even thought about (from the customer’s perception).

He once stopped a kid who was looking for a treat, Mr. Reid suggested that he buy our 2 for $1 chocolate bars, great price and great treat. The young guy looked at him and was surprised that this man took the time to talk to him and he purchased the combo for $1.

The customer only spent $1, but in Mr. Reid's eye, he was maybe a new customer for life just from that conversation. Never take a customer for granted, always offer your best and focus on what the customer sees, wants and buys.”

– Steve Pellerin

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“Words can neither qualify or quantify the impact you have had on shaping what it means to be a true caregiver of a community through retail.

Thank you for everything you’ve done to make this business what it is today and for creating a brand that is loved and respected across the country that we can all be so proud of and fortunate to be a part of.”

– Cindy-Lynn Steele

“Congratulations on the success of Giant Tiger over the past 60 years. This milestone certainly belongs on the list of companies that went from

“Good to great”.Having been a part of GT for almost 30 years, I have personally experienced what it was like to be a part of your success story.

Much of GT’s success is driven by strong leadership and culture. The quote “having the right culture in your organization is truly the killer app of competiveness” certainly fits GT, GTW and TT. Your leadership style of listening and directly communicating with the people who do the job and labeling them as the professionals in GTW and Tiger Trucking was such a great inspiration to those associates.

Time and business has changed but you are still very much a part of the associates’ memories. Every December 24th you visited each of the warehouses and personally shook everyone’s hand and thanked them for their dedication and hard work as well as wished them and their families a Merry Christmas. You will never know how much of an impact this had on them and the respect you received for these visits.

Twice a year, you attended the drivers meetings and once a month, you attended the GTW staff meetings. Our team looked so forward to those visits and company updates. They truly felt like owners within the company and always eager to share their ideas and thoughts because you listened to them and more importantly you actioned many of those ideas.

I am sure that much of our success at GT is directly related to your style of leadership. As management, we had the opportunity to watch, learn and follow your leadership quality. Thank you and once again congratulations on 60 years!”

– Mike Quinn

“Congratulations to Mr. Reid, and the entire family of 10,000 team members on reaching Giant Tiger's 60th anniversary!

With 22,000 days of making memories, Mr. Reid knows that most were good, but some were not. The courage and tenacity of his endeavours are underscored by the success of Giant Tiger.

Everyone who has had a direct interaction with Mr. Reid will have a different opinion of the encounter. I have found Mr. Reid to be calm and controlling, always focused on his goals for the business. He does appreciate feedback (and like most people, he especially appreciates it when it lines up with the objective of his goals!).

There are relatively few great, Canadian retail success stories. As the ultimate entrepreneur, Mr. Reid, you are truly one. Kim and I are blessed for having been a small part of your incredible success.

– Tom and Kim Brash

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“Congratulations Mr. Reid for 60 years of Giant Tiger! I had the privilege of working for this company, which brought great success to both my family and me. You have such flair, and you surround yourself with key people, who’ve helped this company grow – and regardless of the numerous obstacles, you always managed to tackle them with great success!” – JP Poulin

“Hard to put a work and life experience of working with Gordon Reid 39 years into 200 words. It was 1978 when I first met Gordon Reid for a franchise opportunity, turns out it was the right time, place and decision.

From the frugal beginnings of Giant Tiger to what it is today, Gordon deserves all the credit. He was a visionary, he knew want he wanted, and he was able to attract a number of pioneers who shared his vision to make it happen.Always on the ball, especially researching and learning from the competition that in the end made us better. From the days of Byway, Bargain Harold’s and the entry of Walmart into the Canadian Retail landscape, he led us to becoming better. Because his office cabinets were filled with information about the competition – such as buying Crest toothpaste at Walmart at 68 cents so we, in turn, could sell this in our stores at 68 cents and not lose any money – we were able to survive.

From his many stores visits like in Store 74, 5000 sq. ft. where he took many pictures, giggled and upon his return to Ottawa shared this information.

In the early days, we had 6 meetings per year in Ottawa with 8 buyers and 20 stores. We had fun learning from each other in meetings and after the meetings – like the casino night in Ottawa where my wife Laura lost some of Gordon’s money in the process (it was a fake money). Giving Gordon a big kiss on his cheek when we celebrated my 25th anniversary to playing a game of golf, turned out he was also a very good golfer.

Sure there are many more stories but we treasure our relationship with him. Wishing Gordon and Nancy continued success and more importantly good health especially during this COVID pandemic.”

– Ton and Laura Dicke

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“It seems like only yesterday that we celebrated our 50th! Nora and I wish to extend our congratulations to Gordon Reid and the entire Giant Tiger team, in offices, stores and warehouses, for reaching yet another significant milestone. Founded by a true entrepreneur who not only launched a winning retail business strategy but also created a unique culture built on franchising and a sense of 'ownership by all' that motivated and inspired the team to excel and succeed.

As a member of that team for 29 years, it was an incredible journey being involved in such a wonderful Canadian success story. So many great people contributed to the evolution and growth of the business and brand. We are very proud of your continued success.”

– Andy Gross

“I would like to congratulate Mr. Reid for Giant Tiger’s 60th anniversary! Wow what an accomplishment!

I had the privilege of working here for over 35 years and seeing it grow from the beginning and all the changes over the years.

Thank you Mr. Reid for all that you have done for me and my family.

All the best to the future of Giant Tiger"– Christine Soucy

“GT 60 years! Having spent 28 years as a member of what I think is the best retailer in Canada, I want to offer my congratulations and personal thanks to Mr. Reid in achieving this amazing milestone.

I recall reading that good morale can be defined as having faith in ones leadership and to that end, Mr. Reid fostered an environment that through thick and thin always managed to achieve positivity and loyalty from “The Team”. Once again congratulations!”

– Rick Armstrong

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“When I first started managing a store, I started to receive a phone call every week from Mr. Reid (Saturdays at 10-10:30). This went on for about a year.

The first few times I was extremely nervous, as I thought why would the owner of the company want to talk to me? But he quickly made me feel at ease, and I started to look forward to our weekly chats about sales, top selling items and what was our plans to do to better next week. But the conversations would always end with how my family was doing and how I was enjoying working for Giant Tiger.

Well Mr. Reid, I can tell you that I have enjoyed every day working at Giant Tiger and proud to be part of Team Tiger for almost 20 years. My family's quality of life changed so much for the better when I came to work here because of the focus family first. I can't thank you enough for giving me this incredible opportunity those many years ago.

Congratulation Mr. Reid on 60 years!” – Rick & Tammy Fitzgerald and family

“When I think of Mr. Reid, I remember various conversations on items, displays, concepts and sharing of ideas. What is selling? How? Why? Can we sell more?

Then apply the vision everyday, in what we think and do. One of my mentors 25+ years ago had this to say of Mr. Reid, that I wholly endorse and has guided me for many years: ‘What Mr. Reid wants from me, he can have... because everything I have, he gave to me.’

We cannot thank Mr. Reid enough for what he has given all of us in 60 years and counting.” – Glenn Dickson

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“Congratulations on reaching such an extraordinary milestone. I had the privilege of working by your side for three decades, experiencing some formidable, challenging years, exposed to your thinking along the way.

To be honest, I didn’t think I would retire before you, but anyone who knows you, understands your extraordinary drive and determination. That coupled with your unrelenting focus on strategy, execution and intensely competitive nature are the main reasons we’ve been so successful.

While growing the company you’ve built a truly unique, transformative franchise model and created a real Giant Tiger family. Most importantly allowing others to contribute alongside you and share in your success. And understanding the importance of the team, throughout the organization, you viewed every new team hire as an opportunity to learn and improve the business.

You’ve always had such clarity of vision, and as a proud discount retailer understood where you wanted to operate – and who we served. Never distracted with trying to be something else, something new or trendy. And always an advocate for the customer and our store owners. At your core, you never stopped being a merchant, focused on items and price and simplifying the business. Your emphasis – always how to do it at the lowest cost for stores and the lowest possible price for our customers. Common sense ruled the day.

To me, all of those things speak to the consistency of character you displayed throughout your career and is your legacy for the future. Never once in my 30 years, did I see you waver on these and other important principles.

I can only imagine the gushing accolades collected in tribute to you, they will be plentiful and more importantly they will be genuine, heart-felt and so very well-deserved.

As they say, if you need shade, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago – and you’ve done a lot of planting over the past 60 years.

Congratulations on an extraordinary career but most importantly on the positive, life-changing impact you have had on so many lives.” – Dave Burnside

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

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“From the early morning visits – to the afternoon possible hunger cure visit – Mr. Reid kept you on your toes. Knowing the owner/boss could walk in your office at any time always had you aware.

A quick story that shows his drive. Mr. Reid, myself, Jeff York and Don Treverton were in North Carolina on business, visiting Roses stores head office. We had gone with their executive on a few store visits.

One free morning, at breakfast, Mr. Reid asked each of us what we wanted to do. We wanted to have the morning off but he wanted something different. He agreed we would have a free moment, but when we got near a Roses store, he quickly left us and went to the men’s department where he counted and verified the size selection. This was before we used perpetual inventory or even computers to the extent that we do now.

All this was to prove that you might have inventory, but not good inventory. All your inventory might be in a few sizes! At this time, this was a huge effort to teach all store owners and buyers to dig into your inventory, do not order just visually, you will be out of business. He was so right!

One of his favourite sayings was “tell me now what you think now, don’t get back to me later”. He also often said “I don’t know how, that’s why I hired you”! Mr. Reid was tough, but very fair, and brought the good out of you as he developed a strong, profit-minded and goal-minded team. I cherish my GT career, both as a senior buyer and as a store owner, and the man who made it all possible. Thank you Mr. Reid.

I recently went snowmobiling with one of our retired executives. I showed him my GT tiger head key chain. I said to him “I know who made this all possible”.

Congrats on 60 years, glad to be part of it.”

– Ken Pack

“Happy 60th anniversary Mr. Reid!

It feels like yesterday the company was turning 50, but like they say ‘time flies when you are having fun!’

Thank you for making it fun, the challenge is always there but you have always given us the tools and resources to rise to the occasion.

Your passion has always been infectious and it make us all better leaders ourselves!” – Alec Boyd

THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

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“I joined Giant Tiger in July 2000 without an employment contract or compensation package being finalized. I would never have done this with any other organization, but in this case, Mr. Reid’s integrity, his reputation of “doing what was right” and the culture he built at Giant Tiger made this an easy thing for me to do. I have never regretted this decision once and have nothing but gratitude for an extremely rewarding experience, both financially and personally.

I truly recognize my good fortune to have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with a retail and business icon for as long as I have. Countless people spend their entire careers without this opportunity. Mr. Reid’s wisdom, his ability to understand people and what motivates them, his relentless pursuit to get better, and belief that no challenge was unsolvable, or at the least something can be learned from it, are just some of the traits I tried to take away and apply in my pursuits.

One of the most memorable things about working with Mr. Reid is his genuine belief that everyone on the Giant Tiger team contributed to the company’s success in some way, no matter what the role was. This genuine belief translated into his fierce loyalty to his employees and franchisees and even further to the vendor community. Creating these partnerships kept everyone working together to succeed as a whole.

Mr. Reid, please take our 60th anniversary as one moment in time to simply take your well-deserved credit for creating what you have at Giant Tiger! We have all been blessed as a result of it.”

– Greg Farrell

“Congratulations Mr. Reid on your 60th anniversary of building the BEST discount retail stores in Canada! You are to be congratulated on your forward thinking, direction and foresight on the growth of your company. Thank you for letting us be part of that growth over the years.

You encouraged everyone to be better! And everyone, past and present, are better because of you. Even after retirement, we watch with excitement, the expansion of Giant Tiger. From store #1 to over 254 locations! We have fond memories of life with you and Giant Tiger!

To a great company. To a great person!”

Congratulations Mr Reid and Happy Anniversary Giant Tiger!”

– Jack and Pauline Book

“One thing that we have always enjoyed at Giant Tiger is the personal conversations that we were able to have with Mr. Reid. If it wasn’t about us selling chocolate bars for a dime, it was about an upcoming renovation. Or how we managed to sell so many hanging baskets at store 108! If nothing else, we discussed our mutual home province of British Columbia.

Mr. Reid always posed the questions that made us think and made us push ourselves beyond our everyday operations. Mr. Reid, we owe you a great big thank you for all of the opportunities awarded to our entire family. Congratulations on this amazing milestone! Wishing you the very best!”

– Russell and Dorothy Crockett

THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

“A big congratulations to you on your 60th year, and all of your achievements.

It feels like just yesterday when Mr. Kerr would invite me on the tours with you throughout the store in Pembroke discussing changes, merchandising, and buying strategies. Your genuine, down to earth approach made me into the owner/manager I have become.

I would like to thank you for all the opportunities throughout the years. Starting as a student working after school, and weekends, to being a franchise owner. None of this would have been achievable if it wasn’t for your vision of growth within the company.

Your vision, passion, hard work, dedication, and kindness has taken your company from which everyone knew as a discount store to the GT boutique you hear customers calling it now.

I was always inspired when you would call the store on a Saturday morning and first ask how the kids were, and are they working in the store yet. Then discuss business second. I can’t forget to mention that if I didn’t have the answer to any of your questions you would have the answer ready for me.

(Greatly appreciated.) Again, congratulations on this well deserved achievement. You are an example that great things can happen to those who work hard to reach their goals.”

– Jason Oberback

“Mr. Reid of course taught me many lessons over my 31 years working with him. When I had my first performance review with Mr. Reid, he asked me to come to his office. I was a little nervous to say the least.

He started talking saying mostly positive things and then he told me I would not be successful in business without changing a personal trait. That trait was being too nice in all circumstances and not having “an edge” when it was required. I gave it some thought and knew he was right.

I am very thankful to Mr. Reid for this lesson and many others that he thought me about business through the years.Thanks Mr. Reid and congratulations on 60 years of success!”

– Mike Lewis

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THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL

The origin of GT Boutique and… a bathtub in a convertible?“The very first time, our next door neighbour, and this would have been in ’67 or ’68, he’s the one that started saying ‘Boutique’. I had never heard it until then, and then he happened to be onto something – some of my friends would joke and say “Would you mind bringing me this back from GT Boutique?”

- Mrs. Waller

“When we first opened Store 3 in Pembroke in 1966, our advertising budget was very limited. I happened to come across a fellow who had this little old convertible with a bathtub in it, so I went up and down Main Street two or three times advertising the opening until the police came to us and told us we couldn’t do that anymore!”

- Bruce Waller

Friendly got a Facelift!As mentioned in Mr. Reid’s note – Friendly didn’t always look so friendly. We’re all about beauty on the inside, but perhaps this makeover was needed.

All kidding aside, so many of our customers (and co-workers, for that matter!) look forward to visits from Friendly, the Giant Tiger.

“This is a favourite GT memory of mine. This picture was taken in Grimsby at the December 2019 Christmas Parade, and what makes this so special, is the reaction from the child with Friendly. It was a great evening seeing how excited the community was when

they saw the Giant Tiger employees

and Friendly walking in the parade.”

Photo submitted

by Andy Daniels – Store 50

The Original Shopping Experience A Giant Tiger shopping excursion often starts with checking the latest weekly deals and ends with full shopping bags. Sure, folks are more likely to check for deals online or through a smartphone app – but the process really hasn’t changed over the years. What exactly did it look like in May 1961?

Check out the next page for some retro prices!

HAPPY TEAM TIGER

60TH

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HAPPY TEAM TIGER

WHAT'SHAPPENING

What makes you proud to be Canadian?Maple Syrup? Hockey? A medium double double?Is it the fact that we apologize for everything? Sorry… It’s poutine, isn’t it?

TELL US WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD TO SAY “I’M CANADIAN, EH” from our favourite vacation spots to your fondest memories! Send your stories to tigertales@gianttiger.com.

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian origin – both past and present – who have helped shape Canada into the amazing country we share today.

Since the 1800s, immigrants have journeyed to Canada from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western and Southeast Asia, bringing our society a rich cultural heritage representing many languages, ethnicities and religious traditions.

The people of this diverse, vibrant and growing community have contributed to every aspect of life in Canada — from the arts and science to sport, business, and government.

In December 2001, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.

Keep an eye on the Intranet/Hot Topics this month, where we’ll highlight some of the many valuable contributions made by Canadians of Asian origin.

MAY IS ASIAN

HERITAGEMONTH

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IN THECOMMUNITY

Have you ever stopped to appreciate a building in your neighbourhood, finding something uniquely interesting about the way it stands out against everything around and being pulled into how it fits into your community? 

Sara Heinonen, a Hamilton-based artist had that exact experience and that fascination became a year-long project to captured not only the uniqueness of the building but also how the pandemic unfolded in her community. That building was Giant Tiger’s downtown Hamilton location (Store 21) and Heinonen, earlier this year, released a book, My Year with a Giant Tiger, featuring a selection of images from across her year-long project. 

Originally from Toronto, Heinonen did not grow up with Giant Tiger being a staple in her life as it has been for many people across Canada.  “What I choose to photograph, the starting point is visually how it fits into the city. What makes it unique,” elaborated Heinonen. Upon discovering the Canon St. store, she was drawn in by “the bold cartoonish of the colours, the cheerfulness of it,” and the juxtaposition of the bright yellow building with the blue sky. 

As she started to share her photos over Instagram the strong reaction made her aware of the place

the Giant Tiger brand occupies within her online community and that she had inadvertently tapped into something iconic. “The brand and store mean a lot to Canadians,” she remarked.

Due to the strong positive and enthusiastic reaction online and Heinonen’s personal intrigue into how she

THE BRIGHT YELLOW BUILDING AROUND THE CORNERPhotos by: Sara Heinonen

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Many of the photos capture the location’s distinct marquee sign, which over the course of the year went from charming messages featuring deals of the week and highlighting holidays to becoming about our shared experiences around the pandemic. “The store took on a sort of civic role," said Heinonen, sharing the up-to-date guidelines for the community. Eventually, the sign took on a consistent message, “Let’s keep each other safe,” which remained on the sign for the final six months of the project, reinforcing our commitment to the community we call home. 

As Heinonen moved through the project she never imagined that it would go beyond something for herself, but because of the reaction, she began to explore with a local bookstore, The City & City Books, to bring this project to the Hamilton community. The response to the book has been nothing less than amazing according to Heinonen, selling out very quickly with purchases from across the country. What she found interesting as an artist, was the feedback that went beyond the art, “some people just wanted to see a book about their favourite store.”

My Year with a Giant Tiger by Heinonen can be purchased from Sara Heinonen’s website or in-store at The City & The City Books in Hamilton. For every copy sold, $3 will be donated to St. Matthew’s House in Hamilton, a local charity group that supports people in need, improving their quality of life and enabling them to participate in the community. 

could present the store in as many ways as possible, what started as a few photos grew into a larger project over the course of a year, and eventually a book. As she explored what she captured, Heinonen discovered two narratives surrounding her series, the life of the store from summer 2019 to 2020 and how the pandemic unfolded within that community. 

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FROM OURCUSTOMERS

We sent an open letter to our Facebook fans asking them to share their favourite GT memories. Here’s what they had to say!

“My grandma use to live in a northern town where the only good store was GT. Every time we visited her,

it involved a trip to GT Boutique to get something special. Clothes, treats, summer activities. She is no longer with us but every time I pass a Giant Tiger,

I think of her!”

A favourite memory of mine is travelling to Quebec and seeing my

first French Canadian store, and getting so excited that the name

was in French “Tigre Géant”. I love that it’s such a fabulous store and

employs so many Canadians!

Mine was the grand opening in Sault Ste. Marie, waiting in line to get

in when COVID was all new to us. The music was playing, the staff were dancing, everyone was so happy to be getting a GT and they gave everyone

GT buffs when you went in. Thank you GT! Happy birthday!

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I have always loved GT ever since I was a kid. My favourite memory is shopping for back to school clothes when I was

young and having a whole new wardrobe for the new

year! Such great prices so we always got so much stuff!!

My favourite memory of Giant Tiger is going to the location on Ottawa street in Hamilton (not there anymore) with my Dad every Saturday

morning to buy baseball cards for him and New Kids on the Block cards for me. He gave me the gum out of his packs every time!

Every Wednesday I used to babysit my little granddaughter so it was

our “thing” to go to Giant Tiger in the morning! For Easter, I gave her a GT gift card so she can buy her

own things when we go!

My favourite memory was when one of the GTs in my city was renovated

and I went to the grand opening with my neighbour. We were like

two fan girls having our photo taken with the tiger mascot!

Working there in high school, I always thought we were a big family and I enjoyed my time spent there. It was one of the best places I worked, with the best staff! Happy birthday GT!

"My favourite GT memory was visiting the original

store in Ottawa! I have been to Giant Tigers in 4 different

provinces across Canada!"

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Before you serve• Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature.

Colour, texture or taste are not indications that food is cooked.

GET READY TO GRILL Warmer weather means it’s time to BBQ. Here are some food safety tips to keep you safe!

Burgers and sausages 71°C (160°F) Hot dogs 74°C (165°F) Steaks 63°C (145°F) - Medium-rare

71°C (160°F) - Medium 77°C (170°F) - Well done

Chicken - pieces 74°C (165°F)

Chicken - whole 82°C (180°F) Pork chops 71°C (160°F) Fish 70°C (158°F)

Before you cook • Wash hands and surfaces after they

touch raw meats

• Get out separate utensils and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods

• Thaw out frozen food if needed: o In a refrigerator: food should be at 4ºC or colder o In cool water: submerge food in package in sink or container of cool water,

changing every 30 minutes o In the microwave – cook food immediately after o As part of the cooking process - allow at least 50% longer cooking time

• Marinate food in the refrigerator. If the marinade is going to be used as a sauce, save fresh marinade that has not touched raw meat in a separate container or boil the sauce used to marinade raw meat.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

LOOKING FOR A JOB POSTING?• Log in to your

Workday account

• Open the Career Worklet to see all available job postings and apply!