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R.I.P. Mr. Mirvish
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| Stilez |
| quote: | City Mourns Death Of Legendary Icon "Honest Ed" Mirvish
Wednesday July 11, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
He was the one man who embodied the very image of Toronto. So it seems almost impossible to believe that Honest Ed Mirvish wasn't actually born here. But it was the place he lived his life and the place he helped to change forever. And sadly, on Wednesday, it was also the place where that magnificent life ended all too soon. Mirvish died in the morning at St. Michael's Hospital. He was just a few weeks shy of his 93rd birthday.
Mirvish was actually born in Virginia, but came here in 1923, when his father opened a grocery store on Dundas St. Ed and his family lived directly above it, but the future mogul was forced to drop out of school at age 15 to take over the business when his dad died suddenly. It was there Ed learned some of the retailing secrets he would later so successfully employ at his iconic store at Bathurst and Bloor. But he also learned something else that can't be bought - the values of charity, generosity and giving back to the community. And it was those qualities, more than his bargains, that endeared him to so many and makes his loss so heartbreaking.
An entrepreneur and risk taker from beginning to end, the start of Honest Ed's was a typical leap of faith for the future multi-millionaire. He started a dry cleaning store, but it flopped. So he took $214 from his wife's insurance policy and rented a building at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst Sts. It was 1948. "Right here in this location, we opened a little store," he remembered surveying the source of his empire. "It was rented, $55 a month was the rent."
Unlike other merchants, Ed went out of his way not to provide service. Instead he cut corners, eschewed fancy packaging and didn't bother with accepted practices like returns or deliveries. The pay-off? Everything he sold was a lot cheaper. The store was an instant success, with line-ups around the block to get in on the first day it opened. Those lines never really disappeared.
And Ed added the one other thing department store giants couldn't - his personality. The store was filled with snide references to his cheapness and his sense of showmanship and humility even as he grew rich made him a local favourite. "You put 'honest' in front of your name, everybody gets suspicious," he once remarked. "They watch you."
By 1988, the place was such an institution that Mirvish was forced to expand. There were tears in his eyes as the store reopened, now taking up three quarters of a city block and boasting what was billed as the world's largest electric sign.
But it was in 1962 that he made a contribution to the city that will never be forgotten. He saved the Royal Alexandra Theatre from the wrecking ball by buying the space, and restoring it, sinking $500,000 into the building that had seen better times since it was built in 1907.
In an attempt to keep the theatre profitable, Mirvish opened up the Old Ed's Warehouse restaurant nearby, offering one meal, roast beef with all the trimmings, in order to minimize costs. In subsequent years he brought other restaurants to the area including Ed's Seafood, Ed's Chinese, Ed's Italian Restaurant and Ed's Folly. There were only a few caveats - all gentlemen must wear suits and ties, the food had to be good and the service superb. All have since closed but the memories of the establishments have become the stuff of legend.
In 1993 Mirvish built the Princess of Wales Theatre, which was the largest new theatre in this country in 30 years. Among the shows Mirvish Productions has brought to the city over the years: Miss Saigon, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, and The Producers. Without knowing it, Mirvish single handedly created what we now know as Toronto's entertainment district on King St. W. It was there he would later receive his own star on Canada's Walk of Fame - a place that wouldn't have existed without him. Big time Broadway-style productions soon followed, along with accolades from actors, politicians and the general public.
When he bought the Old Vic Theatre in London, the rest of the world sat up and took notice, stunned that a little shopkeeper from Toronto could have achieved such heights.
But the theatrics that happened on stage were nothing compared to what went on outside his store. Mirvish went to great lengths in the pursuit of free publicity, including bringing in elephants, and hiring protesters to picket his own store. But it was his other stunts that became as much a part of Toronto as the CNE.
Every Christmas, he and his sons would greet long lines of well wishers, handing out free turkeys and fruitcake for the holiday, making it possible for those who couldn't afford a holiday dinner to share in the season. That same spirit came shining through in the years that followed, when Mirvish would throw the entire city a party on his birthday. It consisted of free cake and entertainment, and like everything else this showman was involved in, it always drew a huge crowd. When he was reminded most people get a present for their birthday instead of giving one out, Ed was ready with an explanation. "I do everything backwards," he laughed. "I hope they all have a most enjoyable day."
Mirvish's riches weren't spent on fancy cars or homes, although he enjoyed his money. Instead, he gave away a large amount of it to charitable causes. Those actions earned him accolades, honourary degrees, the Order of Canada and even a knighthood.
Business partner Russell Lazar, the store's longtime general manager, said he considered Mirvish a friend above all. "I applied for a job 50 years ago as a kid and the rest is history," he recalled fondly. "It's been a real ride being with Ed all of these years and seeing the changes in the store and the expansion and the different promotions and the unique one-of-a-kind sales and being part of the celebration when he expanded the store, bought the theatre and opened his restaurants. It's been a real privilege for me. It's been a real ride and it's just wonderful. He'll be sadly, sadly missed."
But definitely never forgotten.
The years began to take their toll on the master showman, who insisted on coming to work into his 90s. In 2003, he endured a bout of double pneumonia that kept him out of his coveted limelight for almost a year. When he returned, a much frailer man stood in his place. But the spirit was clearly still there. "The hardest thing, you don't work, you don't get paid," he responded. "So it really hurts. But outside of that, it's nice to be back."
Mirvish was later confined to a wheelchair but continued to make public appearances when his health allowed. Despite his obvious decline, he never lost his zest for life and refused to think about his own mortality. But he once addressed a question of what he wanted on his tombstone. "What I would like is to have a throne set up in the centre of Honest Ed's. Have a man sitting on that throne. Then have my body cremated and put in an hourglass, and he keeps turning that hourglass up and down. And my employees said "There's Ed. He's still running."
Honest to the end.
Mirvish leaves behind his wife, Anne, and son, David. His funeral, which is expected to attract hundreds of people, will be held this Friday at 11am at the Beth Tzedec Synagogue at 1700 Bathurst St.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
The Ed Mirvish Educational Memorial Fund
c/o The Benjamin Foundation
3429 Bathurst Street,
Toronto
M6A 2C3
Or call (416) 780-0324.
The fund supports up and coming entrepreneurs.
Rich and Famous React to Mirvish's Death
Statement from the Mirvish Family:
The Mirvish Family regrets to announce the passing of Edwin Mirvish on July 11, 2007 in the early hours of the morning at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto. Born July 24, 1914, he was only a few weeks away from reaching his 93rd birthday.
An entrepreneur, theatrical impresario and producer, Mr. Mirvish was known as "Honest Ed," also the name of his world-famous discount emporium at Bloor and Bathurst in Toronto. He entered the theatrical business when he purchased and saved from demolition the stately Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto in 1963. Lavishly restoring the legendary venue, he began producing shows and soon became a major force in the theatre. He also bought and restored the Old Vic in London, England, and with his son, David Mirvish, built the award-winning Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in 1993.
Mr. Mirvish was a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Member of the Order of Canada and the recipient of more than 250 awards.
Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly. |
SOURCE
The man, the legend. :(
I remember standing in line, way back when, to visit Mr. T who was Santa at the window corner on Bathurst & Bloor. A true Toronto Icon. |
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| jeeper_095 |
| may he rest in peace. |
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| E2EK1EL |
| RIP ED, your one cool dude. |
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| Mortyman |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stilez
SOURCE
The man, the legend. :(
I remember standing in line, way back when, to visit Mr. T who was Santa at the window corner on Bathurst & Bloor. A true Toronto Icon. |
I better not hearing you weeping through the walls tonight bro! :tongue2 |
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| EvilTree |
Well, the dude lived his alloted lifespan. Not many people reach 93.
RIP to a Toronto legend :( |
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| cenik |
| quote: | Originally posted by EvilTree
RIP to a Toronto legend :( |
+1 |
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| shanny |
Heard him referred to as "Mr Toronto" today.
Couldn't think of a more fitting person to have that title. |
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| Stingray |
Poor ol' Ed.
The only thing crooked was his floors.
RIP |
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| Jben |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stingray
Poor ol' Ed.
The only thing crooked was his floors.
RIP |
lol, so true I remember running thru that place as a kid it was a maze.
RIP |
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| rabbitjoker |
"Honest Ed" was the first of the bargain store - he invented the concept adopted by pretty much all discounter firms (well before their retail adoption). Even well after his format was mainstream he continued to offer the average man an opportunity to buy reasonable products at a reasonable price (not to mention his free turkey events).
Also "Ed Mirvish" pretty much invented the Toronto theatre scene which has drawn tourists from all over the globe. The reason we have a thriving theatre community today is very much a tribute to Ed's efforts in that regard.
Toronto has lost a great personality and a wonderful asset. |
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| The Wiz |
RIP to a theatrical supporter and pioneer - The theatre community would be a very different one today if it were not for Mirvish.
May his ambitious and generous legend live on ..... |
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| Jem_hadar |
| RIP to Honest Ed. |
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