Rob Faries has two RONA stores on the edge of James Bay in Ontario’s far North. He’s also the front man for a killer rock band called The Relic Kings that played in Southern Ontario this week. Hardlines was there. We had great fun watching the band entertain us at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Relic Kings headlined a night of folk, blues, and power rock by indigenous performers that moved us to dance—and to tears. Near the end of the show, lead guitarist and fellow songwriter Michael Archibald pulled out his Flying V guitar and the band really let loose. Then Faries brought it all down masterfully with a moving cover of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has announced an expanded role for John Dyksterhuis, who has spent almost half of his 38 years with the firm as a merchandise manager. His new title is chief supply chain and merchandising officer. In this new role, he will oversee both merchandising and supply chain operations, working with Home’s marketing team to develop programs that support its growth strategy.

Home Depot’s online sales in its fourth quarter were up about nine percent. The company attributed that rise to its focus on improving the customer shopping and browsing experience, the use of AI to enhance deliver capabilities, and increased assortments in its flatbed distribution centres. Company execs provided details on a call to analysts on the release of Home Depot’s year-end results last month.

Canac is the latest retailer to join the Well Made Here program in order to identify domestic products. It’s a familiar step for the chain, which already participates in the Les produits du Québec certification scheme. “We were looking to help customers make informed choices about the origin of their purchases while maintaining a high standard of credibility in product selection,” Canac GM Martin Gamache said in a release. “The accreditation promoted by Well Made Here perfectly met this ambition.”

A pause on U.S. tariffs until April 2 will include Canadian softwood lumber, following the intercession of the (U.S.) National Association of Home Builders, Wood Business reports. President Donald Trump announced on March 4 the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on all goods entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.

Two days later, he paused them on goods covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. While softwood lumber isn’t one of them, the NAHB worked with the White House to secure their inclusion in the pause.

Newly imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum prompted a swift response this week. On Wednesday, Canada announced nearly $30 billion in retaliatory tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump initially threatened Canada with 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, however he pulled back when Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to impose a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to some U.S. states.

“These tariffs are nothing less than a potential industry killer,” said Marty Warren, United Steelworkers national director for Canada. “It’s an economic attack on workers and our economic sovereignty. Trump’s protectionist charade is not about helping American workers but about using them as political pawns while jeopardizing jobs on both sides of the border. Canadian steel and aluminum workers will not be intimidated. We are ready to fight back and we will.”

Empire Co. reported Q3 profits of $146.1 million, up from $134.2 million a year earlier. The parent of Sobeys and Safeway said its sales rose to $7.73 billion from $7.49 billion in the comparable period of its fiscal 2024. Same-store sales were up by 2.5 percent.

The value of building permits issued in Canada in January fell to $12.8 billion, StatCan reports. That was $425.8 million, or 3.2 percent, lower than December 2024. Residential construction intentions fell by 3.4 percent to $8.8 billion after increasing by $1.7 billion in December. In the single-family sector, however, permits increased by $111.4 million.

Throwback Thursday is a regular feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.

Twenty-five years ago, the Hardlines Weekly Report published a regular “Stockwatch.” We noted in our March 20, 2000 issue that Canadian Tire stock fell to $19.10. “Sweet are the uses of adversity,” Shakespeare wrote. Indeed, Canadian Tire was forced to come up with some new marketing strategies. One of them was putting its famous Canadian Tire money on a credit card, which it did in late 2000. Canadian Tire class A stock is now trading at $146.94, as of yesterday.

Saint-Gobain announced yesterday the appointment of Jean-Claude Lasserre as CEO of Saint-Gobain Canada. He will succeed Julie Bonamy effective April 1. Currently global CEO of Saint-Gobain Surface Solutions, Lasserre brings more than three decades of experience within the Saint-Gobain Group.

In a release, he said his “primary focus will be to connect with our customers and support our teams as we continue our work to offer a complete portfolio of building products with our recent acquisitions, while reinforcing our commitment to sustainable construction.