The history of Dominion grocery stores in Ontario

Long before giant supermarket chains dominated nearly every intersection in Toronto, one of the country's biggest success stories began as a tiny storefront at 174 Wallace Ave.

Dominion Stores Limited was founded in May 1919 by American businessmen Robert Jackson and William J. Pentland, who got the company off to a remarkable start. By the end of its first year in operation, the brand had opened 20 stores, and just one year later, that number quickly skyrocketed to 61 locations.

After just four years in business, Dominion claimed to be the largest grocer in Canada, with 190 stores, including 62 in Toronto.

Dominion store seen at 417 Yonge St., east side, at McGill Street in 1948. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

While it's difficult to imagine in our world today with self-checkout lanes stationed at practically every grocery store, customers didn't actually browse the aisles themselves. Instead, the store's clerks would grab products from well-stocked shelves and bag everything up on the shopper's behalf.

Throughout its first two decades, Dominion steadily expanded its presence across Ontario and even acquired some stores from T.P. Loblaw. By the 1930s, the company had grown to over 500 stores, although most still operated as small, local neighbourhood shops.

Dominion store, 213 Wellesley St., grocery section in 1929. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

Like many businesses of that era, Dominion struggled through the Great Depression, but entered a new chapter in 1939, when J. William Horsey became president and began modernizing the chain.

Horsey — who increased employee wages and introduced attractive benefits like paid vacations — also played a fundamental role in keeping the supermarket chain under Canadian ownership by working with financier Bud McDougald to bring the company into E.P. Taylor's Argus Corporation.

Dominion Store, 1284 Queen St. E. exterior shot in 1929. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

Soon after, Dominion began closing many of its smaller, aging locations and replacing them with massive, modern supermarkets. As a result, its store count dropped to roughly 195 locations by 1945, but sales continued to climb.

Dominion store, 213 Wellesley St., vegetable section in 1929. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

After WWI came the chain's golden age, when every new store opening was a lavish affair (one lunch even featured a string quartet, limo arrivals, and mini orchids handed out to every female customer).

In the 1950s, advertising director J. Scott Feggans created the chain's unforgettable slogan ending with "It's mainly because of the meat!" which some shoppers might still remember to this day.

However, as most stories go, Dominion's success was tested throughout the 1970s, when inflation and discounting wars with competitors hurt the company's profits. By the 1980s, earnings had dropped, and other chains, including Loblaw, began opening modern stores that appealed to younger shoppers.

As the company continued to struggle, it underwent a series of corporate reorganizations under the Argus Corporation. In 1985, Dominion was officially acquired by A&P Canada, although some stores (especially those west of Ontario) had already been sold to Safeway, Loblaw, and other companies.

Eventually, A&P reduced the Dominion banner to the GTA, while other stores throughout Ontario were converted to the A&P name or sold to other operators.

The nail in the coffin came after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada in 2005. Following this, the remaining Dominion stores were gradually rebranded, and by 2008, all stores operating under the Dominion name had been converted to Metro, with the legendary Dominion banner officially retired in 2009.