Ed Mirvish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Ed Mirvish, 2006
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| Born |
Yehuda Edwin Mirvish
July 24, 1914 Colonial Beach, Virginia,
United States |
| Died | July 11, 2007 (aged 92) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Other names | Honest Ed |
| Occupation | Founder, chair and CEO of Honest Ed's |
| Children | David Mirvish |
Yehuda Edwin "Honest Ed" Mirvish (July 24, 1914 – July 11, 2007) was a famous American-Canadian businessman. He was also a kind person who gave a lot to charity. Ed Mirvish was a theatre boss who helped bring plays to life.
He is best known for his amazing discount store, Honest Ed's, in downtown Toronto. He also played a huge part in making Toronto's theatre scene exciting again.
Contents
The Early Life of Ed Mirvish
Ed Mirvish was born in Colonial Beach, Virginia. His parents were Jewish immigrants. His father, David, was from Lithuania, and his mother, Anna, was from Austria. They gave him the Hebrew name Yehuda. A cousin suggested adding the American name Edwin.
Ed often shared a funny story about his baby naming ceremony. There was no special religious leader in Colonial Beach. So, his family hired one from Washington, D.C. This leader was Rabbi Moshe Reuben Yoelson, who was the father of the famous singer Al Jolson. Ed joked that this was his first taste of show business!
Moving to Toronto
His family later moved to Washington, D.C. There, Ed's father opened a grocery store. But the store went out of business in 1923. So, David Mirvish moved his family to Toronto, Canada.
In Toronto, his father worked as a door-to-door salesman. He sold things like brushes and encyclopedias. Later, he opened a grocery store in a Jewish community on Dundas Street. The family lived in a small apartment above the store. They even shared their bathroom with a Hebrew school. Ed often joked that he dreamed of having his own bathroom someday.
Starting His Own Businesses
Ed's father passed away when Ed was just 15 years old. Ed left school to manage the family store. He became the main supporter for his mother, his younger brother Robert, and his sister Lorraine. Robert later became a successful writer.
The grocery business did not do well. So, Ed closed it and opened a dry-cleaning shop. He partnered with his childhood friend, Yale Simpson. The shop was called Simpson's. A big department store also named Simpson's tried to make him change the name. Ed famously pointed to his friend and said, "Here's my Mr. Simpson. Where's yours?"
However, the dry-cleaning business also struggled. Ed then took a job as a produce manager for a grocery store owner named Leon Weinstein. This job finally gave him financial stability. He bought a Ford Model T car. He then started dating Anne Macklin, a radio singer from Hamilton, Ontario. They got married in 1941. Their son, David, was born in 1945.
The Birth of Honest Ed's
In 1943, during World War II, Ed and Anne Mirvish opened a dress shop. It was called The Sport Bar. In 1946, it grew and was renamed Anne & Eddie's.
In 1948, Ed used his wife's insurance money to start a new business. It was a bargain store called "Honest Ed's". He filled it with all sorts of unique items. He bought these items from sales where businesses went bankrupt or had fire damage. He displayed everything on orange crates.
This store was different. It didn't offer credit or fancy service. It was a "no-frills" business, and it was an instant hit! Ed said he invented the idea of "loss-leader" sales. This means selling some items very cheaply to get people into the store.
"Honest Ed's" grew and grew. It eventually took up an entire city block. It called itself "the world's biggest discount department store." Soon, it was making millions of dollars each year.
Mirvish Village
In the late 1950s, Ed started buying houses on Markham Street. He wanted to tear them down to build a parking lot for his store. But the city said no. His wife, Anne, suggested renting them out cheaply to artists. This idea worked wonderfully! The street became a lively community. It was filled with artist studios, galleries, and unique shops. Today, it is known as Mirvish Village.
Later Years and Legacy
In June 2006, Ed and Anne Mirvish celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Toronto's mayor and police chief gave speeches. There was also music from opera and theatre stars. In July 2006, Ed celebrated his 92nd birthday at Honest Ed's. Many items in the store were on sale for just 92 cents!
Ed Mirvish passed away on July 11, 2007, at age 92. His funeral was held at the Beth Tzedek Synagogue in Toronto. He was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery. His store, Honest Ed's, closed and its lights were dimmed as a tribute. Theatres on Broadway in New York also dimmed their lights. Toronto Police even had a special horse named Honest Ed at his funeral.
On August 12, 2007, the City of Toronto declared it "Ed Mirvish Day." They closed Bloor Street for a celebration in his honor.
Ed Mirvish's Fun Publicity Stunts
Ed Mirvish was famous for his amazing publicity stunts. He did all sorts of wild things to get attention. He once rode elephants! He even hired people to protest his own restaurant's dress code. This was all to get people talking.
Every Christmas, Ed would give away thousands of pounds of free turkeys at his store. Shoppers would wait in line for hours to get one. This tradition continued until 2015.
Since his 75th birthday, there was an annual birthday party outside the store. It had free food, entertainment, and rides for kids. In 2003, Toronto's mayor even called his birthday "Ed Mirvish Day."
A sign in his store once read: "When Ed dies, he would like a catered funeral with accordion players and a buffet table, with a replica of Honest Ed on it made of potato salad." This shows his great sense of humor!
Theatres and Restaurants
Besides Honest Ed's, Ed Mirvish was well-known for his theatres and restaurants in Toronto. His first big purchase was the Royal Alexandra Theatre. This beautiful old building was going to be torn down. But Ed bought it in 1963 and fixed it up. This helped bring Toronto's theatre scene back to life.
To make the area around the theatre more lively, Ed bought a nearby warehouse. He turned it into a restaurant called "Ed's Warehouse." To save money, it served a simple meal: prime rib, mashed potatoes, and peas.
He later opened other restaurants on the same street. These included Ed's Seafood, Ed's Folly, Ed's Chinese, and Ed's Italian Restaurant. These places brought many people to the King Street area. They served thousands of meals each night! As the neighborhood grew, other restaurants opened. Ed's restaurants eventually closed, with Ed's Warehouse being the last to shut down in 2000.
In 1993, the Mirvishes built the Princess of Wales Theatre. It was the biggest new theatre in North America in 30 years. It was also the first one built with private money.
Ed and his son David ran Mirvish Productions. This company brought big theatre shows from Broadway and London to Canada. They helped stage famous musicals like The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, and Hairspray.
In 1982, Ed and David Mirvish bought London's Old Vic theatre. They spent a lot of money fixing it up. Under their care, The Old Vic won many awards for its shows. They sold it in 1998. Ed Mirvish was given a special award for saving the Old Vic.
On December 6, 2011, the Canon Theatre in Toronto was renamed the Ed Mirvish Theatre in his honor.
Honours and Awards
Ed Mirvish received many important awards and honors for his work:
- 1978: Became a Member of the Order of Canada.
- 1984: Won the Retail Council of Canada's Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award.
- 1984: Was named a Freeman of the City of London. This was for his help with British theatre. As a Freeman, he even got to drive a herd of sheep across London Bridge!
- 1987: Was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada.
- 1989: Was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
- 1999: Received the Retail Council of Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2008: A street in Toronto, near the Royal Alexandra Theatre, was renamed Ed Mirvish Way.
- 2008: A park near Honest Ed's was renamed Ed & Anne Mirvish Parkette.
- 2011: The Canon Theatre was renamed the Ed Mirvish Theatre.
See also
- History of the Jews in Toronto
