Aug. 28, 2025 "Zellers returns — again — this time starting in Edmonton": Today I found this article by Anis Heydari on CBC:
A new incarnation of Zellers is set to open in Edmonton's Londonderry Mall,
after the defunct Hudson's Bay Company transferred the discount retailer's brand trademarks to the owner of Fairweather and International Clothiers,
according to federal registries.
According to the operator of the north Edmonton shopping centre, the former Hudson's Bay location was initially planned to open as a Zellers with a soft launch on Friday, Aug. 29.
That has now been postponed to the following week, in early September.
"It's going to be about 60,000 square feet," said landlord Henry Zavriyev in an interview with CBC News from Montreal.
"It'll be the first Zellers opening in Canada."
Zavriyev said his understanding is the store will sell
household goods,
along with clothing for
men,
women
and children.
The Londonderry location shut down as a Hudson's Bay in June 2025.
Representatives for Zavriyev's company, Leyad,
pointed out it was converted to a Zellers in less than two months.
While Canadian Tire purchased the now-insolvent Hudson's Bay Company's intellectual property and branding, including the slogan, "Where the lowest price is the law,"
it explicitly did not purchase the name or logo for "Zellers" or associated names such as "Zeddy's Cub Club."
New Zellers run by Fairweather and International Clothiers owner
While Zavriyev did not disclose the owner and operator of the "new" Zellers location in an initial interview, CBC News has uncovered federal trademark registries that confirm the Bay has transferred control of the Zellers logo and trademark to Les Ailes de la Mode, represented by president Isaac Benitah.
Les Ailes de la Mode is a former department store that was previously purchased by Fairweather, a company also associated with Benitah. Other companies under his umbrella include International Clothiers.
The lawyer for Benitah and Les Ailes de la Mode as listed in the trademark filings has not yet replied to requests for comment from CBC News, nor have representatives of the former Hudson's Bay Company.
On Friday morning, a representative for mall owner Leyad explicitly named International Clothiers when confirming that the company decided to delay the soft launch of the new Zellers.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/zellers-returns-again-edmonton-1.7620559
Aug. 29, 2025 "Zellers is back: Here’s where to find a new location": Today I found this article by Charlie Buckley on BNN Bloomberg:
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you: After years spent closed and out of the spotlight, Zellers is making a return, and it’s getting its new start in Alberta.
Starting this week shoppers at Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall can take a walk down memory lane at the iconic chain’s new location, though without much fanfare.
“It’s a very soft launch; they’re opening quite slowly,” said Henry Zavriyev, CEO of the mall’s owner, Leyad, in an interview with CTV News Edmonton Thursday.
The new location will be housed in one floor of a former Hudson’s Bay location -- one of the many across Canada that closed their doors after the retail giant went out of business in June. Leyad says the revived Zellers is the country’s first to occupy a now-former Bay store.
The Hudson’s Bay name and trademarks have since been sold to Canadian Tire, though the company says that the Zellers brand, as well as the ongoing revival, are not part of that deal.
“I think Canadians are pretty excited,” said retail expert Bruce Winder in an interview with CTV News Channel Thursday. “Canadians have seen this story before, though.”
In 2023, when Zellers was still owned by Hudson’s Bay, the retailer made a brief revival through a series of pop-up locations inside Bay stores, though that was not to last. This time, Winder notes that things may feel different than the store shoppers remember.
“It only really includes fashion products, so women’s, men’s, children’s fashion or clothing, and home goods,” he said.
“It’s kind of cherry-picked the higher-margin parts of the former Zellers,
but we’ll have to see what the pricing’s like,
what the product’s like.”
To stay competitive in a new decade and a new market, Winder says Zellers needs to understand its customers.
“It has to have a clear target market,
whoever that is;
whether it’s the ‘value’ customer,
or what have you,” he told CTV News.
“It has to have the right value in the marketplace;
the right combination
of quality
and price.”
As for the question on everyone’s minds: Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear whether the beloved Zellers restaurants will be part of the comeback.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Craig Ellison and Evan Kelly
My opinion: I like Zellers because they sold a lot of things and they were cheap.
I don't know how long this store is going to last.
If they open 1 store, and they close it down in 2 years, then they didn't lose a lot of money.
If the store sells and makes a lot of money, they can expand to more locations.
Nov. 16, 2012 "Zellers Iconic Mascot Zeddy Finds New Home With Camp Trillium":
- Retailer finds 'forever home' through facebook adoption campaign before closing its doors -
News provided by
Nov 16, 2012, 09:00 ET
TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - After three weeks and almost 30,000 votes, Canadians have found a new home for Zeddy. The beloved mascot is now an official member of Camp Trillium after fans voted in Zellers' final facebook campaign EVERYTHING MUST GO!, marking an end to almost three decades with his Zellers family.
The adoption effort is just one part of Zellers' last community outreach. The retailer is also donating $27,800 in HBC gift cards and Zeddy plush toys to more than 20 Canadian not-for-profit organizations this holiday season to support their local charitable initiatives.
Zeddy has been supporting local communities and charities since he was born, and hopes to continue that tradition in his new home. Zellers put out a call to Canadians to nominate worthy charitable organizations to adopt the lovable bear mascot, and was flooded with nominations. The contest was then narrowed down to three: Autism Ontario, Camp Trillium and Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and through fan voting Camp Trillium came out on top, winning $5,000 and the honour of becoming Zeddy's official adoptive family.
Zeddy in the Woods
The other 2 blog posts of the week:
"Why your options may be limited if your employer wants you back in the workplace"/ "If you work from home Monday and Friday, there's a tawdry nickname for you"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/why-your-options-may-be-limited-if-your.html
"'Not going to work out for you': Amazon ups stakes over flouted return-to-office rules — report"/ "Amazon is ending remote work. Its employees hope the company reconsiders"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/not-going-to-work-out-for-you-amazon.html
Vennela B, Mississauga, Ontario, would like to know:
Would you describe yourself as an early bird or a night owl?
Early bird 60.77% (2928)
Night owl 39.23% (1890)
Marie-Pier S, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, would like to know:
Do you have a landline phone at home?
No 72.20% (3168)
Yes 27.80% (1220)
Hosted by Rick:
Details
Is Universal Basic Income A Good Idea? What is your understanding of UBI and is there a version of it that you believe is sustainable?
What are reasons to support UBI? Is there something more to this concept than merely distribution of wealth? Should every human being receive automatic income just for being alive?
How is "Basic" measured? Just enough to get by? How uncomfortable or unpleasant can someone's life be so long as they are getting by? Should "Basic" come with a degree of comfort or satisfaction in one's preferred lifestyle? Or should it just be enough to afford "Great Depression Food"?
If you support UBI, what should the dollar amount be and how often? If it varies by state or region, what can you at least say about your own reason? How often would the rate change based on inflation? Would UBI cause hyperinflation?
For me, I am strongly against UBI for a number of reasons. Without going into too much detail I would simply say the world does not owe us anything as a default, therefore it is an unwarranted entitlement. I ultimately consider this a form of theft, as it takes from others who may have worked harder, and gives to those who may not have worked at all. I view UBI as a deeply flawed solution to economic disparities in our country. The disparities are real and it is a problem to solve, but this solution would cause more problems then it would solve.
What are your thoughts? Come join us for a fun and thought-provoking discussion. All views welcome.
Rule Of Etiquette: The goal is to have a productive free-flowing discussion, while also giving everyone a fair chance to participate accordingly. If you have any trouble getting a word in, please use the "Raise Hand" feature. We have a very loosely enforced 3 minute timer but please be mindful of your time and the number of people waiting, and know you can always put yourself back in the rotation for additional talking points. It is also encouraged to engage with others on your turn so that we can more of a free-slowing dialog, rather than each of us just taking turns on our soap boxes.
Most importantly, please be polite and respectful to others. Diversity of views means you will likely hear some ideas that you will hate, and that’s ok. But for the sake of fostering a welcoming environment and productive conversations, remain professional and respectful to everyone. Or at least just try, we’re all human :)
Hope you can join us!
Apr. 25, 2017 "Basic- income pilot project to be tested in three cities": Today I found this article by Rachelle Younglai in the Globe and Mail:
It’s not just people receiving social assistance who will be eligible for the basic income.
The government is also targeting those who are
underemployed,
earning minimum wage
and/or living in poverty.
However, if an individual is receiving income from a job,
the government will deduct half of his or her earned income.
For example, if a single person earned $10,000 from a job,
the government would provide $11,989 in basic income
– the maximum $16,989 minus $5,000 from his or her wages.
hat recipient would then have a total income of $21,989 for the year.
One economist said the basic income plan could become a disincentive to work,
because every dollar earned would reduce the amount of government benefits paid.
“There would be an incentive to get basic income.
But then the incentive to earn more through work would be blunted by the fact
that each dollar one earns would reduce your basic income by 50 cents,”
said Douglas Porter, chief economist with Bank of Montreal, who called it
“an effective tax rate of 50 per cent.”
Feb. 10, 2024 "Can money buy happiness? Income may boost emotional well-being more than we thought": Today I found this article by Brandie Weikle on CBC:
Back in 2017, Jessie Golem, a photographer and videographer from Hamilton, was working four precarious jobs, including one for a volunteer organization that she hoped would open some doors.
"I just didn't have any free time because I was constantly going from one job to the other to the other," she said.
"It was so stressful and exhausting.... I was always thinking about, 'OK, can I pay rent?' So then any decision, even decisions about what food I could buy, was
affected by this."
When Golem was enrolled in Ontario's basic income pilot program,
she was able to focus on her better-paying work as a freelance photographer,
knowing her rent would be covered regardless of whether her invoices had been paid promptly.
Asked if, based on her own experience, she believes money buys happiness, Golem said, "Absolutely, it does."
She said it was satisfying to see her efforts on the business "turning into real-world money," and it helped that she was no longer in a constant state of worry about what she'd do if the car or computer she uses for work broke down.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/money-can-buy-happiness-1.7107592
My opinion: I attended this online Meetup with 30 people. It was a very good discussion.
A lot of people said there wouldn't be an incentive to work.
Or we need UBI because AI is going to take over a lot of jobs.
I will say that I actually "raised my hand" and talked for 3 min. I actually participated. I mainly said:
The main priority is inflation and living costs.
We should all have enough money to live on and have enough to pay rent and food.
We should solve homelessness and poverty.
We used to have the job of a telephone operator, but now that is replaced by an automated message: "The phone number can not be completed."
Later Rick asked me "Should there be a universal basic income or a better welfare system?"
My answer: Yeah, a good welfare system. We have:
Employment Insurance
The Canadian Pension Plan
Assured Income for the Severly Handicapped
However, we need more help.
Sept. 7, 2025 One Second After book: At the Meetup, someone mentioned this book. This is about an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) that destroys all electricity, cars, and communication. Millions of people die.
I read the synopsis on Wikipedia. It sounds like a really well -written story and depressing. I'm not going to read it.
One Second After is a 2009 science fiction novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Released in March 2009, One Second After and was ranked as number 11 on the New York Times Best Seller list in fiction in May 2009.[1] A trade paperback edition was released in November 2009.[2]
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