History

In 1919, Theodore Pringle Loblaw and J. Milton Cork opened the first Loblaw Groceterias store modeled on a new, radically different self-serve retail concept in Toronto.

By 1928 the grocer had 69 stores across Ontario. The state-of-the-art Loblaw Groceterias Warehouse & Head Office also opened, in the new and mostly undeveloped lands at what is now 500 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

The chains co-founder, dubbed the “Merchant Prince” by the press, unexpectedly passed away in 1933 at the age of 60. By then, the number of Loblaw Groceterias' locations had continued to grow and by 1936 had grown to over 150 stores in Canada and the United States. By 1939, the Loblaw Groceterias' signs were replaced by the first “Loblaws” signs on store facades.

In 1947, Garfield Weston purchased a large block of shares of Loblaw Groceterias Co. on behalf of George Weston Ltd., whose interests also included baking, grocery, wholesaling and paper manufacturing.

From 1955 to 1966 the Gardiner Expressway was erected above and over the north end of the warehouse.

Loblaw celebrated Canada’s Centennial in 1967. Hundreds of Canadian and Centennial flags are hung from its warehouse and head office to help mark a very proud moment in the country’s history. The Loblaw News writes that we’ve never looked so colourful. The splendour of the 650 flags on Loblaw headquarters buildings was a stirring sight.”

In the 1970s the Loblaws Headquarters moved. The building was turned over to the Daily Bread Food Bank as a warehouse and distribution centre. In 2000 the food bank moved out and the site has since sat vacant in anticipation of future plans. In 2001 the building was declared a heritage property.