Long before chains of discount stores, in Toronto at Bloor Street West and Bathurst, there was - and still is - a huge store with fluorescent lights flashing round the building and people lined on the sidewalks waiting to get in each weekday morning. It is named after its founder, Ed Mirvish and called HONEST ED'S. There is a sign that welcomes customers, "This Way, You Lucky People!"Ed Mirvish used to sit in his second floor office overlooking the store and dreaming up the punchlines for his full page ads in the Toronto dailies. He loved his business and had a flair for the outrageous. Every day there was something marked down to a ridiculous price and every day there was always a crowd waiting to get in to shop.
Ed Mirvish was also a patron of the arts, with a personal art collection, more than one theater and he even bought up some houses on Markham Street at the side of the Store to help out artists. This man just loved life and it was reflected in the projects he took on and the rewards heaped on him.
Seldom comes along such a flamboyant person who actually does so much for a city, with so much fun as Ed Mirvish. He also had some restaurants - one called Ed's Warehouse with carousel horses hung suspended from the ceiling.
Well, it seems about 4 years ago, when he was having his 90th birthday, the Toronto Police Force named a horse for Honest Ed.
Two horses from the Toronto Police Horse Guard will be in Washington for the inauguration of Barack Obama.
Mr. Mirvish died at age 92 a couple of years ago but I can assure you he would think that was some bargain that a horse named after him would be doing that! Why, he probably would have had a special sale in honor of Barack Obama!
I imagine his son is still running the businesses and so, I'd like to suggest to David Mirvish that he put on sale plain ties for $3.65 Canadian on January 20th. (That translates to about $2.98 American today - genuine value!)
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