Canadian Tire Corp. chief information and technology officer Rex Lee has been named one of Canada’s Best Executives by the The Globe and Mail Report on Business.

Lee has been with Canadian Tire since 2012. Recently he has managed the implementation of AI shopping assistants.

“Rex, a valuable member of my senior leadership team, is incredibly deserving of this award. He helped build the springboard to our next chapter of growth, positioning us for long-term success by reimagining our technology architecture and championing agile operating models, critical platforms, and responsible AI and emerging technologies. As we advance our True North strategy, his leadership, deep expertise, and unwavering work ethic continue to be powerful drivers of our momentum,” said company president and CEO Greg Hicks in a statement on LinkedIn.

Atlas Engineered Products (AEP) a truss and engineered products firm released its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

Revenue for Q4 ending December 31, 2024 was $15,069,615 and $55,828,723 respectively compared to revenue of $14,197,425 and $49,413,675 for the same time in 2023.

Gross profit for the end of the quarter was $3,591,777 and $4,084,663 compared to $3,046,448 and $4,258,301 in 2023.

Net loss after taxes was $212,128 for the year compared to net income after taxes of $3,149,838 in the previous year.

As final numbers continue to trickle in this morning, it is a fourth mandate for the Liberals, with Prime Minister Mark Carney at the helm of a second minority government.

Carney, who ran on an anti-Trump platform and a promise for the “most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War” including 500,000 new homes over the next decade, told his supporters following his win that, “when I sit down with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future economy and security relationship between two sovereign nations.”

While Carney touted his plans for the future, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh both lost their seats, with the NDP also losing official party status. The Bloc also suffered significant losses as a wave of patriotism reinforced Liberal sentiment in the province.

(Check out the next issue of our sister publication, Hardlines Weekly Report, for more coverage of the Canadian election results and how they could impact home improvement retailers. Sign up here.)

In our Hardlines Weekly Report distributed to Hardlines Premium Subscribers yesterday (April 28, 2025) we ran a report headlined “Home improvement industry starts to feel the effects of tariffs.”

The report quoted David Sandke of United Truss/United Lumber in Southern Ontario, saying: “We are supplying all-Canadian EWP goods right now.” One of the Canadian EWP products that Sandke referred to is West Fraser LVL.

Distribution of that product comes from Gillfor Distribution in Eastern Canada, not as stated yesterday.

Hardlines regrets the error.

Maxi, Loblaw’s discount banner in Quebec, has announced the upcoming opening of a new 15,000-square-foot store in Caraquet, N.B., this fall. This marks the first location for the popular Quebec banner outside of its home province and signals the organization’s commitment to providing affordable grocery options to more Canadians.

The company stated it believes Maxi’s strong brand and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of consumers will resonate in this new market.

“At Loblaw, we’re always looking for ways to bring value to more communities across Canada, and we believe Maxi offers a wonderful opportunity to do just that in Caraquet,” said Melanie Singh, president of the hard discount division at Loblaw. “The strong community values, francophone heritage, and thriving region resonate deeply with the DNA of the Maxi banner, and we look forward to being part of this community.”

“We are coming to Caraquet with our newest concept, which is a simplified and user-friendly shopping experience in a modern and welcoming environment,” added Patrick Blanchette, VP of Maxi.

BMR Group has announced the appointment of Adam Vatcher as business development manager for Ontario, as part of its strategy to expand west of Quebec.

Vatcher brings over 20 years of experience as a building centre manager and six years as a sales representative at IKO Industries.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome someone with Adam’s skills into my team,” Simon Gouin, VP of business development, said in a release.

A cross-section of Quebec’s retail home improvement industry gathered Friday night for an awards gala that honoured retailers, suppliers, and individuals alike. The 12th annual Gala Reconnaissance drew some 440 people to a black tie event at the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Quebec City. The gala was mounted, with a medieval-theme, by the Quebec industry association AQMAT. Hosted by AQMAT president Richard Darveau, the event included the presentation of awards to everyone from owners and managers of top-performing stores and select suppliers to sales reps and industry veterans.

(For the full list of AQMAT Gala award winners, click here!)

The Fraser Institute is reporting that the annual number of new homes being built in Canada in recent years is virtually the same as it was in the 1970s, despite annual population growth now being three times higher.

“Despite unprecedented levels of immigration-driven population growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has failed to ramp up homebuilding sufficiently to meet housing demand,” said Steven Globerman, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of The Crisis in Housing Affordability: Population Growth and Housing Starts 1972–2024.

Between 2021 and 2024, Canada’s population grew by an average of 859,473 people per year, while only 254,670 new housing units were started annually. From 1972 to 1979, 239,458 new housing units were built despite the population only growing by 279,975 people a year.

A Quebec manufacturer has launched a cri de cœur to the leaders of the main federal political parties, claiming his larger competitors have obtained exemptions from a federal regulation on volatile organic compounds. Sébastien Plourde, president of Super Décapant (Super Remover) says he’s complying with the rules, which were adopted in 2021.

In a letter written to the leaders of the five parliamentary parties and obtained by Le Soleil, Plourde laments that cheaper and more toxic alternatives remain on store shelves with impunity while his inventory stays put. “On my products, there’s no skull and crossbones on the packaging. Our input stocks have built up, and our sales and market position are directly affected by the government’s inaction. I have hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory.”

Hudson’s Bay Co.’s hopes of preserving six bricks-and-mortar stores will not come to fruition, with liquidation beginning at the six Toronto- and Montreal-area stores previously spared.

Items are now marked down at those locations by up to 70 percent. One shopper at the Bay’s Toronto flagship (pictured) told CBC News that he was “very happy” with his haul but also wistful about what he called “the death of the department store in Canada.”