The death of an old Canadian Icon
1/31/2009 at 12:21 PM
Timothy Eaton died at his Toronto home on January 31, 1907, at the age of 73. He was born in Portglenone, Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1834.
The first department store that he opened at Yonge and Queen Streets in December 1869 was not his first venture. In 1856, Timothy and his brother James opened the J. and T. Eaton General Store in Kirkton, Ontario, near Stratford.
He had three sons, one of who, John, became the President of Eaton’s Department Store.
Eaton’s ran the Toronto Santa Clause Parade from 1905 to 1982. Following St. Nick’s sleigh was always a car with tinted windows that carried a doctor, nurse and back up Father Christmas in case the one on the float became ill.
http://www.eatons.com/