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Eight retailers and retail professionals were recognized at the 34th Annual Outstanding Retailer Awards, held during the Hardlines Conference in Ottawa. The awards span hardware stores, building centres, large-format retail, community leadership and other categories.
Eight Canadian retailers and retail professionals received honors at the 34th Annual Outstanding Retailer Awards, presented during a gala dinner at the annual Hardlines Conference at Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel. The awards recognize businesses across a range of Canadian hardware and home improvement retail formats.
The winners represented eight categories. Kinlock Home Hardware in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, won Best Hardware Store. BMR Pro Matériaux Rouyn-Noranda in Quebec received Best Building Supply or Home Centre under 15,000 square feet, while Meadow Lake Home Hardware Building Centre in Saskatchewan won the category for locations over 15,000 square feet.
Security Building Supplies, a TIMBER MART dealer in Saskatoon, was named Pro Dealer of the Year. RONA+ Saint-Hubert in Quebec won Best Large Surface Retailer, and Ouellette Bros. Building Supplies, part of Castle Building Centres Group in Fort St. James, British Columbia, received the Retail Spirit Award.
The other honors went to Maxime Bossinotte of Matériaux Direct, a TIMBER MART dealer in La Pocatière, Quebec, as Young Retailer of the Year, and Shelburne Home Hardware Building Centre in Ontario for the Marc Robichaud Community Leader award. The published results identify owners, managers or other representatives for the winning businesses; the awards were sponsored by suppliers and industry companies.
Recognition Across Retail Formats
The results recognize businesses serving different customer needs, from local hardware stores and building-supply centres to a large-format retailer and a pro-focused dealer. The range of categories gives the awards a broad view of the Canadian home improvement sector rather than focusing on one store size or business model.
For the winning retailers, the honors offer industry recognition for their work in areas the organizers cite as selection criteria: business practices, customer relations, innovation and niche marketing. The report does not quantify any effect on sales, customer traffic or business performance, so the awards should be understood as recognition, not evidence of a measurable commercial outcome.
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How the Awards Select Winners
The awards were presented at the annual Hardlines Conference, where suppliers and retailers from across Canada gathered for the ceremony. The 2026 event was the 34th edition of the Outstanding Retailer Awards, according to the report published by Hardware Retailing on October 21.
Organizers said the winners were selected from nominees submitted from across Canada. The published account names eight award categories and their recipients, but does not provide the number of nominees, details of the judging process or scoring criteria beyond the cited areas of performance.
“This is a year when we especially celebrate Canadian home improvement retailers, which are the best in the world.”
— David Chestnut, president and publisher of Hardlines Inc.
home improvement building supplies
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Judging Details Not Published
The report does not identify the judges, explain how entries were scored or give a count of nominees in each category. It also does not specify whether winners receive benefits beyond the award and public recognition. Those details remain unreported in the source material.
Chestnut’s description of Canadian retailers as “the best in the world” is an attributed opinion; the report provides no international comparison or data to assess that claim. No information is given about the winners’ sales, customer numbers or other business results.
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Winners Return to Their Markets
The awards ceremony has concluded, and the source report does not announce a further event or next milestone. The immediate next step is for the winning businesses and individuals to return to their retail operations with the recognition publicized by the organizers.
Any additional information about the selection process, future award dates or effects on the recipients would need to come from Hardlines Inc. or the award organizers; the published report does not set out a follow-up schedule.
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Key Questions
Where were the 2026 Outstanding Retailer Awards presented?
The awards were presented at a gala dinner during the annual Hardlines Conference at the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa.
How many award categories were announced?
The report lists eight categories, including Best Hardware Store, Pro Dealer of the Year and Young Retailer of the Year.
Which retailer won Best Hardware Store?
Kinlock Home Hardware in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, received the Best Hardware Store award.
Who was named Young Retailer of the Year?
Maxime Bossinotte of Matériaux Direct, a TIMBER MART dealer in La Pocatière, Quebec, won the award.
What criteria did organizers cite?
The report says winners were recognized for performance in business practices, customer relations, innovation and niche marketing. It does not describe a detailed scoring system or identify the judges.
Source: rss
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