CANADIAN TIRE MOUNT FOREST GRAND OPENING FEATURE
Luciano Amico and Kristin Varley in front of the new Canadian Tire store in Mount Forest. Feature photos by Jaime Myslik
New Canadian Tire opens its doors in Mount Forest at long last By Aryn Strickland Varley said. “What I can say with 100 per cent certainty is Mount Forest has always been special to Canadian Tire,” said Amico. “It did take some time to get all the stars to align, but it’s one of the first franchise stores that Canadian Tire had done.” And that meant something. Now, after less than a year of construction, the new 22,000ft2 building stands proudly against the unencumbered skyline. Its doors have been open for just over two months, giving customers a taste of the brand new shopping experience they can enjoy for many years to come. With anticipation for the new store at its peak, Amico, Varley and Canadian Tire have prepared a four-day grand opening. The extravaganza will run from May 9 to 12, promising to celebrate the traditions of the Canadian Tire brand as well as new innovations in the community of Mount Forest. That, Amico and Varley
explained, is what Canadian Tire is and has always been: innovative with a deep appreciation for the past. Alongside the massive inventory that an additional
rain check guarantees offer customers a welcome dose of nostalgia and familiarity. More than quadrupling the size of the store means Amico and Varley were also
“
What I can say with 100 per cent certainty is Mount Forest has always been special to Canadian Tire.
“
MOUNT FOREST - For close to a decade residents of Mount Forest have been asking for a new, larger Canadian Tire. Since 1969 Canadian Tire - a community staple - was located in a 3,500-square-foot store at 525 Queen Street in what was once a bowling alley. After five decades, the tight confines prevented franchise owners from increasing inventory, which impacted existing and potential customers. That left Mount Forest residents asking for a new Canadian Tire. With Luciano Amico and Kristin Varley brought on as new store owners, ground was broken in July 2018 at the new site on Mount Forest Drive, just off Main Street North (Highway 6). “Canadian Tire had been talking about it for about 10 years … to the point where now I think people didn’t really anticipate that they would ever actually update the old location,” said Varley. Over the years Canadian Tire’s head office never gave up on the idea, Amico and
- LUCIANO AMICO, STORE OWNER MOUNT FOREST CANADIAN TIRE
18,500ft2 provides, Canadian Tire has placed the new Mount Forest location at the forefront of many new technological pilot projects. At the same time, customer benefit programs like Canadian Tire money and
able to increase the number of employees from 12 to 40. Some of those include employees that have worked at Canadian Tire in Mount Forest for decades. “Canadian Tire has a very good vision … I think that
Grand Opening Celebrations
they have a lot to celebrate,” said Varley. “I don’t think there are a lot of companies that you can go and find people that are still working that have been there for 40-plus years… the people have a lot to do with it.” Grand Opening Starting on May 9, the grand opening will begin in the morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony offering free coffee and donuts. Amico and Varley have reached out to previous Mount Forest Canadian Tire dealers to invite them to participate in the ceremony, including Gary Campbell, the dealer when Canadian Tire opened in the Mount Forest bowling alley on 525 Queen Street West in 1969. On May 9, 10 and 11 the store will be offering giveaways. On Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12, families will be able to step inside a Canadian Tire money machine. They can try to catch as many Canadian Tire dollars as they can as it flies
around them in a few short seconds. Face painting and balloons will also be available on those days. But the piece de resistance is a large inflatable bowling alley in the store’s parking lot, an homage to the Queen Street location. “You might be able to take Canadian Tire out of the bowling alley, but you can’t take bowling out of Canadian Tire,” said Amico. The couple has planned the opening with the goal of giving local families the opportunity to have fun together. It signals the store’s renewed focus on providing a family-friendly shopping experience and a sense of occasion when customers visit the store, they explained. “I think it’s like a nostalgic thing that doesn’t happen as much anymore now because everyone is so connected with various types of technology,” Varley said. “For us, as family [oriented] people, that is important when you can actually spend some time with your kids too, because nowadays that’s what it is, that’s the quality
STARTING THURSDAY MAY 9