1897–1956
York Cemetery
Section 8 Lot 397
Born in 1897 in Toronto, John William Billes, known as J.W., left school early to help support his family. In 1922, he and his younger brother Alfred pooled $1,800 to buy Hamilton Tire and Garage Ltd. in Toronto’s east end. A year later, they renamed the business Canadian Tire, a name chosen because it “sounded big.”
In 1927, Canadian Tire was incorporated, and its first catalogue was published soon after, sparking a tradition that became an integral part of 20th-century Canadian life. By 1934, the brothers opened their first associate store in Hamilton, Ont., revolutionizing a dealer-operated model that gave local entrepreneurs ownership and independence. This bold approach fueled rapid growth and by the mid-1940s, Canadian Tire had more than 100 stores and was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
J.W. Billes passed away unexpectedly in November 1956 at age 60. His vision extended beyond business. He left 41 per cent of his shares in Canadian Tire to 23 charitable organizations, including the University of Toronto, ensuring his success would benefit generations to come. In 1990, he was inducted posthumously into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
Sources:
• Chancellor’s Circle – University of Toronto
• Mount Pleasant Group – John Billes
• Build Canada – Great Canadian Builders (Billes Family)
Photo: Looking north on Yonge Street, at Church Street, towards a Canadian Tire store. Toronto, C. 1990, City of Toronto Planning and Development Department, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
