Winnipeg?! Really?! Finally!! That was my thought process when I first heard SERIOUS talk last year about IKEA opening a store there. They still have some issues to work out but I figure they've come this far, it'll come to be!
My first IKEA experience was in 1988 while on a family trip to Alberta (don't ask my brother or sister about it, the only thing they'll remember is the pleasure of sharing the back seat of our Mercury Topaz) and one of the many places we stopped at was the West Edmonton Mall, which if I recall correctly wasn't too far from the IKEA store - which my Mom was not going to miss. We spent HOURS at the IKEA store. I thought it was cool place - I had never been to anyplace like it. And we left with a haul! We even had to buy a storage thing for the roof of the car. (Did I mention, we were driving a Topaz.)
Then fast forward to Guy's first IKEA experience, which was in 2004. He was going to be in Minneapolis for work so we had all come along and made a family trip of it. Well IKEA had just opened something like a few weeks prior to when we were there. I had been with the kids already but I wanted to get a few more things so I begged and pleaded with Guy that he just had to come to IKEA with me this time. He wasn't thrilled about it but he eventually caved : ) He thought if we went there first thing when they opened would be best. Yeah... right! Was it a Sunday morning, I think? We got through the Mall of America parking lot towards IKEA and they
were directing traffic!! all the way to our parking spot!! Guy was in disbelief, he didn't get what the big deal was, why all these people would be coming in droves on a Sunday morning for this! Having people direct us where to go was great, couldn't imagine what it would have been like without them. Guy thought that was just crazy! Needless to say, the store was already bussling with shoppers. He doesn't like crowds so he wasn't thrilled to be there but he made the most of it ; )
To find out more about how IKEA went from the woods of southern Sweden to being a major retail experience in 40 countries/territories around the world, read
IKEA history - how it all began.
1943 - IKEA is founded by Ingvar KampradWhen Ingvar Kamprad is 17, his father gives him money as a reward for succeeding in his studies. He uses it to establish his own business. The name IKEA is formed from the founder's initials (I.K.) plus the first letters of Elmtaryd (E) and Agunnaryd (A), the farm and village where he grew up. IKEA originally sells pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewellery and nylon stockings - meeting needs with products at reduced prices.
1951 - The first IKEA catalogue is published1956 - Designing furniture for flat packs and self-assemblyIKEA's decision to design its own furniture stems, ironically, from competitor pressure for suppliers to boycott IKEA. Exploration of flat packing begins when one of IKEA's first co-workers removes the legs of the LÖVET table so that it would fit into a car and avoid damaged during transit. After this discovery flat packs and self assembly become part of the concept.
1958 - The first IKEA store opens in Sweden1976 - IKEA arrives in CanadaThe first IKEA store opens in Vancouver.
1985 - IKEA arrives in the USAThe first IKEA store opens in Philadelphia.
1997 - IKEA on the webThe IKEA web site
http://www.ikea.com/ is launched.
2000 - IKEA customers can shop onlineE-shopping is launched in Sweden and Denmark. Since then many other markets have started offering online shopping at IKEA.
2012 - IKEA arrives in WINNIPEG!!!
I'll try to do better ... I'll have no excuses since I can blog from my blackberry...
that you can read
here... i found (and of course and to buy!) coffee crisp at the cenex gas station in town!! i'm not sure how long they've had them there but i'll be sure to stop in there more often now : )
it might be worth something other than at canadian tire!! who'd have thunk?!
check out the
Canadian Tire Coupon Collectors Club. the ctccc was apprantly started in 1990 after an article that reported the possible demise of the canadian tire cash bonus coupon. this brought awareness about canada's 'second currency'.
for my american friends (and a little history for fellow canadians) here is info i found on canadian tire's website to explain what ctm is...
Canadian Tire 'Money' can be used anytime, for any item purchased at a Canadian Tire Associate Store, and it can be combined with other discounts on items. You can use your Canadian Tire 'Money'™ to pay for your entire purchase, or just a portion of the total price. Redeem it immediately or save it up for that special something you've been wanting to buy.
No rules - no time limits - no hassles It's that simple.
Canadian Tire 'Money' (CTM), one of Canada's best-known and most-loved customer reward programs. Considered by many to be a Canadian icon, Canadian Tire 'Money' enjoys nearly universal top-of-mind recognition in Canada.
The History Of Canadian Tire 'Money'Canadian Tire 'Money'™ was inspired by Muriel Billes, the wife of Canadian Tire's co-founder and first president, A.J. Billes, and was introduced as a "cash bonus coupon" in 1958 in the first Canadian Tire Gas Bar in Toronto. Why was Canadian Tire 'Money' Developed?Canadian Tire 'Money' was developed as an innovative response to the promotional activities of the major oil companies in the 1950s. The oil companies were giving away dishes and toasters to their customers: A.J. Billes decided to boost gas bar business by giving away coupons. Customers were permitted to choose their preferred "bonus". The result? The oil companies just couldn't compete. In one stroke, Canadian Tire had hit upon another retailing first: the concept of cross-merchandising.
The first series of Canadian Tire 'Money' symbolized Canadian Tire's image. In 1961, the next generation of Canadian Tire 'Money' was introduced. This marked the birth of a well-known Scotsman, Sandy McTire, a character that became synonymous with Canadian Tire's emphasis on savings and value. The coupons were printed on genuine bank note paper by the British American Bank Note Company (the same company that printed Canadian currency at the time). The coupons were made from authentic bank note paper, with the same rag content and spot marks as paper currency. Because the coupons felt like real money, people were, and still are, reluctant to throw them away.
Today, the new design of Canadian Tire 'Money' incorporates the latest anti-counterfeiting technology. Special watermarked paper is used in the printing so that, when held up to the light, a white outline of the Canadian Tire triangle is visible through the paper. Raised lettering on the face of the bill, a maple leaf image, and anti-copier tints are used to create the background patterns. A latent image of a maple leaf is positioned to the right of Sandy McTire's left ear-but it can only be seen by tilting the bill at eye level.
Canadian Tire 'Money' has remained popular with our customers. In fact, each series of new Canadian Tire 'Money' is catalogued, tracked, collected and even hoarded by people not just in Canada but around the world. Rare bills are even considered to be valuable among collectors, prompting the establishment of organizations such as the Canadian Tire Coupon Collectors Club.
Canadian Tire 'Money'. Not only is it Canada's oldest, best known, best loved reward program, it's just one more way that Canadian Tire maintains its promise to be the best at what our customers value most.
i was just chatting with a friend here and they were telling me about a recent trip to canadian tire where he paid for his purchase using only canadian tire money and he was surprised that he still earned ctm on his purchase - how cool is that? like he said - where else but in canada?!
i was forwarded this email (thanks ivan)... and thought it worth sharing... 
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee .
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
you'll find cochrane a little northwest of calgary... with a population of about 12 000... you'll also find this AWESOME mural in downtown cochrane that took 200 artists 3 months to work on.
http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane.htmli guess it was originally painted and then panels were taken apart for artists to paint individually and then reassembled back. when you click on each mosaic tile it will show in detail each one. some even show what the original tile was painted as.
check out the mosaic tile of the horse's eye, of the cowboy's nose and mouth, actually all the tiles in the cowboys face are incredible... i haven't had a chance to click on all the tiles yet, i'm sure i'll find more awesome ones... i can just imagine how this must look in person!
Winnipeg?! Really?! Finally!! That was my thought process when I first heard SERIOUS talk last year about IKEA opening a store there. They still have some issues to work out but I figure they've come this far, it'll come to be!
