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Canada's Gain

At the turn of the century, a young Ablan Leon left his native land to seek his fortune. After a few years of extensive travel throughout South America and the United States, he settled into the small town of Welland in Southern Ontario. The largest town on the Welland Canal was a busy and prosperous one with large ships passing through the canal, connecting Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Mr. Leon began his career by selling clothing from a suitcase door-to-door. After saving enough of his hard-earned profit, he bought a small building in the working class area of town and The A. Leon Company was born in 1909. Merchandise such as pants, blankets, shoes, linens and other soft goods, were sold at a fair price to his growing list of customers. The Company quickly established its reputation for being honest, honourable and caring with special attention paid to standing behind the goods sold.



A Helping Hand

In the early 1900s, immigration levels were steadily rising and many of these new Canadians had difficulty obtaining credit of any kind. One particular policy that enabled the store's reputation to grow, was to provide credit to customers who were unable to receive it elsewhere. This endeared Mr. Leon to a growing number of loyal customers.

Once he was on sure footing with his new venture, Mr. Leon went back to his native land to take a bride, Lena. Ablan brought Lena to Welland and they started their family of 11 children. It was evident to everyone who dealt with this family, that Christian ideals such as kindness, humility, and a general concern for others were deeply ingrained in their daily lives.

As the children grew, they worked in the store dusting the furniture, sweeping the floors, or washing the front picture windows.



The Accidental Shopper

When Ablan's son was to be married, he decided to purchase the couple a mattress from a local department store. When the mattress was delivered, it was leaned against the store's outside wall. Soon after, someone came into the store wanting to buy it. Because it wouldn't be needed immediately by his son, Ablan added a few dollars to his cost and sold the mattress. Considering that most of his sales provided only pennies in profit, he was amazed how much could be made on larger items. The rest, they say, is history.



A Family Affair

When Ablan Leon died in 1942, the operation of his now thriving business became the responsibility of his children. Brothers and sisters worked diligently to continue the legacy left by their father. As sales grew, additions were put on the store to accommodate a bigger selection of merchandise.

Eventually it became apparent that in order to grow even further, the business had to expand to other centres. Soon, stores began appearing throughout Southern Ontario, all bearing the Leon's name.

The reputation of Leon's as an honest, reputable retailer who provided quality merchandise at low prices became more and more ingrained in the minds of customers

Store Hours:

Mo,Tu,Wed,Th,Fr  10:00AM - 9:00PM
Sa  10:00AM - 6:00PM
Su  11:00AM - 5:00PM

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