Canada’s largest city has been served by most major Canadian chains over the years, including Loblaw’s, Steinberg’s/Miracle Mart, Dominion, A&P, Safeway, IGA, and others. This section is a work in progress.
In This Section:
More Information:
A Brief Timeline (in progress as of 2020):
- 1919: Robert Jackson and William J. Pentland open the first Dominion store at 174 Wallace Avenue in Toronto; 61 more stores open in the first year.
- 1927: A&P Canada opens its first stores.
- 1933: The first Power store opens at 2055 Danforth (at Coxwell). The chain is purchased by Loblaws that same year but retains its separate identity until the 1970s.
- 1953: Grand Union purchases Carroll’s, a chain based in Hamilton, and enters the Southern Ontario market.
- 1959: Grand Union sells its thirty-eight Canadian stores to Steinberg’s.
- 1964: Oshawa Group purchases Bassin’s.
- 1969: All Steinberg’s Toronto locations now operate under the Miracle Food Mart name.
- 1970s: Safeway enters the Southern Ontario market.
- 1980s: Sobeys enters the Southern Ontario market.
- 1985: A&P Canada purchases Dominion Stores.
- 1985: Oshawa Group purchases Safeway’s Southern Ontario locations, rebranding most as IGA.
- 1989: A&P Canada buts Steinberg’s Miracle Food Mart and Ultra stores.
- 1998: Sobeys purchases the Oshawa Group and its IGA franchises which ultimately become Sobeys, Price Chopper, and later FreshCo stores.
- 2005: Metro purchases A&P Canada and rebrands all A&P and Dominion stores starting in 2008.
Links and Sources:
- Historicist: From a Grand Union to a Miracle
- Historicist: Mainly Because of the Meat and More
- Historicist: More Power To Your East End Food Dollar
- Vintage Toronto Ads: Another Modern, New Dominion
- Vintage Toronto Ads: Yes, We’re Opening Another Store!
- Grocerymania on flickr
