A great neighbor

Canadian Tire has been recognized as one of the best employers in Canada. It's no coincidence. The company understands that for a customer to feel good, their employees must feel good first. That's why they invest in their people, listen to them, and create an environment where everyone can be authentic. That, in the end, translates into how they serve the customer. When you walk into a Canadian Tire store, you don't just see products: you see someone who works with pride. And it shows.

But Canadian Tire's solidarity doesn't end with its employees. It also reaches you.

Did you know that Canadian Tire not only sells things, but also lends you the tool you need? If your car needs a repair, but you don't have the parts, they get them for you and also lend you the tool so you can do the work yourself.

It's not a simple rental. It's a gesture that says: "we trust you, we want to help you move forward". The "Loan-a-tool" program works with a deposit that is returned 100% when you return the tool in good condition. If for some reason you decide to keep it, the deposit becomes the purchase price. It's a way to support those who want to solve their problems, without an expensive tool being an obstacle.

That's the essence of Canadian Tire. It's not just a store. It's a neighbor who lends a hand when you need it most.

An Icon Born in Ontario

Canadian Tire is a Canadian institution with deep Ontarian roots. The company was founded on October 24, 1922 in Toronto, when brothers John W. and Alfred J. Billes invested their life savings —$1,800— to buy Hamilton Tire and Garage Ltd. at the intersection of Gerrard and Hamilton streets.

In 1927, the company was formally incorporated as Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, and in 1934 it opened its first official associate store in Hamilton, Ontario, on King Street. That was the exact moment when two brothers' dream became a business model that would transform commerce in Canada.

What Canadian Tire Means to Canada

Canadian Tire is much more than an auto parts retailer. It's a cultural and economic symbol of the country. In the last decade, Canadian Tire Corporation and its associate dealers have generated approximately $150 billion in economic activity in Canada. About 1.8 million Canadians have worked in a Canadian Tire, Mark's or SportChek store throughout the company's history.

With more than 1,700 retail locations and gas stations across the country, Canadian Tire is one of Canada's most recognized and valued brands. In 1958, the company introduced its famous loyalty program with discount coupons that became the legendary "Canadian Tire Money", an iconic element of Canadian consumer culture.

Hamilton: The Cradle and Heart of Canadian Tire

For Hamilton, Canadian Tire has a special and emotional meaning. The original store that the Billes brothers bought in 1922 was called Hamilton Tire and Garage, carrying the city's name in its identity from day one. In 1934, Hamilton was the site of Canadian Tire's first official associate store, establishing the business model that would allow the brand's national expansion. The location on Hamilton Street served as a catalyst for the development of the dealer network that today makes Canadian Tire present in hundreds of Canadian communities.

Hamilton is not just a city where Canadian Tire has a presence: it is the city that gave its name and model to one of Canada's most important companies.

Canadian Tire in Ontario's Economy

As a company headquartered in Toronto and operating throughout the province, Canadian Tire is an economic pillar for Ontario. The company maintains its head office in Toronto, generating high-quality employment in the corporate and services sector. Ontario has one of the highest concentrations of Canadian Tire stores in the country, many of them operated by local entrepreneurs who are part of the associate dealer network.

More Than a Store: A Symbol of Canadian Resilience and Humanity

What makes Canadian Tire so special is its story of family entrepreneurship, innovation, and adaptation. Two brothers with $1,800 in savings built a company that is now part of Canada's commercial DNA. But its greatness is not measured only in figures. It is measured in the way they treat their people.

Canadian Tire understands that for a customer to feel good, their employees must feel good first. That's why the company has been recognized as one of Canada's best employers, with a real commitment to diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging. They listen to their employees, invest in their development and create an environment where everyone can be authentic.

That's the true strength of a million-dollar company: knowing that its most valuable asset is the people who make it work.

Thank You, Canadian Tire

Thank you, Canadian Tire. Thank you for being more than a store. For being a great neighbor that lends tools. For being an employer that cares about its people. For carrying the name of Hamilton in your history, reminding us that great dreams can also be born in a city like ours. Canadian Tire is an icon. But above all, it's a reminder that true success is built with heart.

One of my stars of 2025 is the Mexican restaurant Mexican Kitchen, owned by Paola Solís in Hamilton.

In 2016, under the name Divine Mexican Kitchen, its history began under the tutelage of Carlota Cisneros. In 2018, she handed the baton to Paola Solís, leaving her with an award: Hamilton's Best Taco, a recognition obtained by popular vote on Twitter (now X.com) and organized by @urbanicityHAM. Paola took the reins with the promise to continue the legacy, and she did.

Mexican Kitchen grew and transformed, and so did Hamilton's culinary richness by bringing Birria Barbacoa for the first time, and also Ontario's with quesa-birria. Although birria was already established in Toronto and other places, it wasn't in Hamilton, and quesa-birria came to stay.

"Hamilton, Ontario: the food capital of Canada", according to host Michelle Rabin. With that in mind, I searched the city and found several Mexican restaurants. Several stood out, all good, but Mexican Kitchen serves only Mexican food, not South American or Tex-mex.

The deciding factor was the Aguas Frescas. Mexican Kitchen is the only restaurant in Hamilton that offers them as they are in Mexico, with real fruit, no machines or syrups.

Mexican Kitchen offers a varied menu: tacos, tamales, burritos, tostadas, chilaquiles, enchiladas, pozole, and others. But the most important dish is Birria Barbacoa, which comes in 3 menu presentations: quesa-birria (the star product), birria ramen, and barbacoa. There's also birria-pozole, which is only offered on specific days or upon request.

When Mexican Kitchen launched quesa-birria, it took months to become established. To achieve this, Paola gave away the recipe without hesitation—not only to customers but to other restaurants in the city. Anyone who asked for the recipe received it. In this way, Paola helped position her own creation, which is now the most popular Mexican dish in this city.

In the interview I had with her, she mentioned that food belongs to humanity, that recipes should never die. Sharing knowledge is a way to keep her grandmother and mother, both named Aurora, present.

With nostalgia, Paola says that the expressions of people enjoying her dishes bring back memories of Doña Aurora cooking. Making your best memories return through food is a way to keep the essence of your ancestors alive.

Beyond birria and its variations, Paola has introduced new dishes. Vegan pozole gives a new meaning to the soup. Carnes en su jugo, from Jalisco, and frijoles puercos, from Sinaloa, among others—something we all wish would be on the regular menu, just like birria once was. Let's hope they become a trend soon.

Regarding expanding her menu, Paola tells me they are limited by the market's local rules: some cooking methods or appliances can't be used, extractors are required but not available at the moment, which limits the kitchen. Even so, everything is excellent. But let's imagine her without restrictions.

It should be noted that Paola not only has excellent seasoning. She's also a great person, makes friends wherever she goes, and never guards her recipes. She shares them with anyone who asks. She says it's a way to make her mother and grandmother immortal. What she doesn't know is that she's also become part of history, at least the history of this magnificent city.

The community's recognition has not been coincidental. Mexican Kitchen has consistently been named among Hamilton's best tacos, appearing in multiple lists of best taco spots. Additionally, it has been in the top 3 of CommunityVotes for several consecutive years, an award won by popular vote, not paid advertising. It has also been featured in numerous reports and videos over the years.

That Saturday was full of people—not only Mexican Kitchen but the entire Hamilton Farmers' Market. I took the opportunity to chat with some diners. They told me something funny: "Do you want to know what the other Mexican restaurants are going to present? Whatever Paola does, you'll soon see it with the others."

They agreed it's a shame Paola doesn't stay open later than 5 PM. Only 4 days a week, Wednesday to Saturday. Sometimes they can only come on Saturdays. How they wish she could stay open until at least 9 PM.

Some mentioned being customers for several years and have seen how this place has grown a lot. Now they have freezers where many of their prepared dishes can be purchased frozen. They remember how the place used to be, with only 9 seats. Now they have to use the market's benches when there's a lot of customers.

About the food, I had the pleasure of trying both the carnes en su jugo and the frijoles puercos. A 10 is not enough of a rating. Those dishes should have their own category.

Regarding the aguas frescas, they are super refreshing. The concept of preparing everything from scratch, without using syrups or concentrates, gives them a homemade touch. Sodas are nice, but aguas frescas are the definitive finish that gives Mexican Kitchen a ten.

It should be remembered that in Mexico, aguas frescas are a tradition and are also recognized by Taste Atlas as the best non-alcoholic beverage in the world in 2024.

The available flavors are mango, guava, strawberry, pineapple, soursop, passion fruit, hibiscus, and some mixes like mango-strawberry, mango-passion fruit, pineapple-strawberry, and other ancestral ones like tejuino, tepache, and pozol. But for me, the queen of all is horchata, made with rice. It's little known outside Mexico, and here you can get it in syrups to dilute with water, but they don't come close to Mexican Kitchen's recipe, which tastes like Mexico.

In conclusion, I must say that Hamilton has a great culinary variety. Some of its restaurants compete fearlessly with the best in the country. And if there were a Michelin star for authenticity, passion, and soulful flavor, Paola Solís would already have hers.

Hamilton is definitely a city to visit: the waterfall capital of Canada, hundreds of historical sites, and also mentioned as "Hamilton, Ontario: the food capital of Canada". You won't be disappointed.

My conclusion is not only that the food is excellent, but also that Paola Solís is already part of Hamilton's history. It wouldn't be the same without her contributions. Who can imagine Hamilton now without quesa-birria? Let's hope that soon carnes en su jugo and frijoles puercos become part of a permanent menu and that Paola's creativity doesn't stop there.

Hopefully soon we can see a Mexican Kitchen branch with extended hours, or even a second location with more days and more hours. It would be a dream.