June 12, 2017 Volume xxiii, #24

“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
—Nelson Mandela (political activist and former president of South Africa, 1918-2013)

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Home Depot launches Orange Door campaign to support homeless youth

TORONTO — Home Depot stores across Canada kicked off the annual Orange Door Project fundraiser last week to help end youth homelessness. Until July 2, customers shopping at Home Depot Canada stores can support the campaign by donating $2 at the checkout in exchange for a paper orange door.

“In Canadian neighbourhoods, kids as young as 13 are experiencing homelessness,” said Home Depot Canada President Jeff Kinnaird. “Together, we can shine a light on this serious social issue and inspire our friends, family members, and neighbours to take action to help.”

Donations to the Orange Door Project campaign support organizations that provide safe, stable housing and life skills programs for homeless and at-risk youth. Home Depot Canada covers all administrative costs of the campaign, ensuring that 100% of customer donations benefit local youth shelters, drop-in centres, or aid organizations.

The campaign has raised $6.6 million for more than 300 non-profit groups since 2007, and the Home Depot Foundation has pledged a total of $20 million by 2018 to improve housing options, support life skills programs, and invest in research to help youth build brighter futures.

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Lee Valley Tools opens store in Niagara Falls, expands new concept prototype

OTTAWA — Lee Valley Tools’ next store will open in what may well be Canada’s most popular tourist spot, Niagara Falls, Ont. That outlet, which will open officially June 16, has been designed to appeal to a transient, impulse-driven consumer in a touristy environment.

The product mix of a traditional Lee Valley store caters to woodworkers, hobbyists, and people searching for unique cabinet hardware, toys, and puzzles. The prototype for the Niagara Falls store reflects a more diverse range of products, focusing on “fun” items, garden tools, retro gizmos, and home accessories.

The concept and merchandising mix were first developed at a boutique outlet Lee Valley owns in Almonte, Ont., about 45 minutes outside of Ottawa. The town draws a steady stream of tourists and day visitors, especially on weekends, to explore its shops and art galleries. The store was originally acquired by the Lee family and tailored to accommodate that clientele. It was also secured as a pastime for the company’s founder, Leonard Lee, in his retirement. He passed away on July 7, 2016, at the age of 77.

In a previous interview, Robin Lee, president of Lee Valley Tools and son of Leonard Lee, told HARDLINES that he believed this “discovery” type of store would be effective in other tourist destinations such Niagara Falls, Ont., or Stratford, Ont., home to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

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Quebec association breaks from CRBSC, will field advocacy issues on its own

LONGUEUIL, Que. — AQMAT, the Quebec hardware industry association, is set to open its own Ottawa office, in order to pursue industry advocacy with the federal government directly. The announcement coincides with AQMAT’s withdrawal from the Canadian Retail Building Supply Council.

At its most recent meeting on June 1, the directors of the association unanimously accepted to strengthen the lobbying function of association President Richard Darveau to lead representation at the federal level, a role he already fills provincially. The association has secured a national office in Ottawa, near Parliament Hill.

AQMAT will stop financing the Canadian Retail Building Council (CRBSC) and will officially withdraw from that national body. However, it intends to keep communications open with the four other regional associations (ABSDA, LBMAO, WRLA, and BSIA of B.C.), to continue exchanging best practices and information, and to defend the industry regarding common issues faced by businesses at the national level.

“We prefer to keep better control over the actions to be prioritized and the rhythm to be adopted to induce government action,” said AQMAT Chair Nicolas Couture. “As the CEO is duly registered as a lobbyist in Ottawa, I am confident that we will obtain results more quickly, and more in sync with what companies here expect from us.”

For now, the Quebec association has identified renovation tax credits as a priority, and will implement a study to evaluate the potential impact of such credits.

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Feds pledge loan support for beleaguered softwood industry


OTTAWA — The Canadian government has pledged $867 million in loans and loan guarantees to the softwood lumber industry, following the imposition of countervailing tariffs on softwood exports to the U.S. The Feds will work in concert with the provinces to support the industry.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. lumber industry is railing against the move, claiming it’s yet another example of government subsidies that tip the balance of trade in favour of Canadian exports.

The loans are designed to help softwood producers offset the impact of the U.S. tariffs, which range from 3% to 23%, depending on the company and province they’re in. The loans should be used, say insiders, to help the Canadian industry become less reliant on the U.S. by developing offshore markets.

Federal support for the forestry industry includes:

• federal loans and loan guarantees to complement provincial efforts;
• efforts to expand overseas markets and promote the diversification of Canadian wood products;
• helping Indigenous communities and organizations improve the performance of their forest sector initiatives;
• providing a temporary extension of the maximum period for work-sharing agreements from 38 to 76 weeks in order to reduce layoffs;
• and expanding support to help affected workers upgrade their skills and transition to new opportunities.

The Forest Products Association of Canada voiced its support for the government measures in a release. “We appreciate that the federal government is standing tall for Canadian forestry communities by launching a comprehensive package in the face of trade actions that we believe are without merit,” said Derek Nighbor, CEO of FBAC. “This support will assist our efforts in continuing to transform our sector, diversify our markets, and support our workers.”

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Brad Dixon has joined Castle Building Centres Group Ltd., in the role of Business Development Manager for British Columbia and Alberta. He has a long history in the industry that includes stints at IRLY Distributors and TIMBER MART. He was most recently at Orgill Canada. In his new role, Dixon takes over from Les Gillespie, who recently left Castle after nine years with the company. (1-778-808-7995)

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