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Eight Canadian retailers and retail leaders received awards at the 34th Annual Outstanding Retailer Awards, held during the Hardlines Conference at Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel. The awards span hardware stores, building supply and home centres, pro dealers, large-format retail, community leadership and other categories.
Eight Canadian retailers and retail leaders were honored at the 34th Annual Outstanding Retailer Awards, presented at a gala dinner during the Hardlines Conference at Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel. The awards recognize businesses across different hardware and home improvement retail formats, as well as individuals recognized for leadership.
The winners were selected from nominees submitted from across Canada, according to Hardware Retailing, which reported the awards on October 21. The publication said honorees were chosen for performance in business practices, customer relations, innovation and niche marketing. It did not provide further details about the judging process or nominee totals.
Kinlock Home Hardware in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, won Best Hardware Store. The Best Building Supply or Home Centre under 15,000 square feet award went to BMR Pro Matériaux Rouyn-Noranda in Quebec, while Meadow Lake Home Hardware Building Centre in Saskatchewan won the category for locations over 15,000 square feet.
Other winners were Security Building Supplies of Saskatoon, named Pro Dealer of the Year; RONA+ Saint-Hubert, the Best Large Surface Retailer; and Ouellette Bros. Building Supplies in Fort St. James, British Columbia, recipient of the Retail Spirit Award. Maxime Bossinotte of Matériaux Direct in La Pocatière, Quebec, received Young Retailer of the Year. Shelburne Home Hardware Building Centre in Ontario received the Marc Robichaud Community Leader award.
Recognition Across Retail Formats
The award list covers eight categories, reflecting the range of businesses serving Canadian home improvement customers, from smaller hardware stores and local building suppliers to large-format retailers and professional dealers. The individual and community-focused awards also recognize people and businesses beyond store size or sales format.
For the recipients, the honors provide industry recognition in front of suppliers and retailers attending the Hardlines Conference. The source report does not state that the awards measure sales, market share or customer satisfaction through standardized data, so the results should be understood as recognition by the awards program rather than a ranking of all Canadian retailers.
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Awards at the Hardlines Conference
The Outstanding Retailer Awards are presented as part of the annual Hardlines Conference, a gathering of suppliers and retailers in the Canadian home improvement industry. The 2026 ceremony was held at the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. This was the 34th annual edition of the awards, according to the report.
Each award category had a listed sponsor: JRTech Solutions sponsored Best Hardware Store; Jeld-Wen sponsored the under-15,000-square-foot centre category; and ACCEO Solutions sponsored the larger-centre category. Trex, DuPont, CGC, Saint-Gobain and Johns Manville sponsored the remaining categories. The report identifies the sponsors but does not describe their role in selecting recipients.
“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.
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Judging Details Not Reported
The published account does not give the number of nominees, scoring criteria, judges’ names or category-specific reasons for selecting each winner. It says nominees came from every part of Canada and were assessed for business practices, customer relations, innovation and niche marketing, but does not explain how those factors were weighted.
The report also does not provide financial or operating data for the winning businesses, or information about how the awards affect their operations. Those details are not needed to confirm the winners, but they limit comparisons between recipients or conclusions about performance across the sector.
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Recipients Return to Their Markets
The awards ceremony has taken place, and the reported next step for the recipients is to continue operating their businesses and serving customers in their communities. The source report does not announce follow-up events, new programs or planned changes tied to the awards.
Further information about the selection process or the winners’ work may be shared by the retailers, organizers or sponsors. No additional award-related announcements or dates were provided in the report.
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Key Questions
Where were the 2026 Outstanding Retailer Awards presented?
The awards were presented at a gala dinner during the Hardlines Conference at the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa.
How many award categories were reported?
The report lists eight categories, including Best Hardware Store, Pro Dealer of the Year and Young Retailer of the Year.
Who won Best Hardware Store?
Kinlock Home Hardware in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, won Best Hardware Store.
What qualities were considered in selecting honorees?
Hardware Retailing said honorees were chosen for their ability to exceed in business practices, customer relations, innovation and niche marketing. It did not publish specific scoring details.
Were the awards based on sales figures?
The report does not say that sales figures were used. It names four areas considered but does not describe the complete judging method or provide financial comparisons.
Source: rss
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