Carl Cole Co-founder Coles Notes

On my walk through Holy Blossom Memorial Park, Scarborough, I discovered the grave of Carl Cole, co-founder of the iconic Coles Bookstores—and a true Canadian entrepreneurial legend.

Born Carl and Jack Kollofsky in Detroit, these two enterprising brothers got their start selling books by the pound out of the back of a truck. In 1935, while still in their teens, they opened their first bookstore, The Book Exchange, on Bloor Street near Spadina Avenue in Toronto, specializing in second-hand books primarily for University of Toronto students.

The Cole brothers’ journey was a genuine rags-to-riches story. At just 11 years old, they were living in foster homes—first in Detroit, then in Toronto—before forging a path that would lead them to build Coles Bookstores, which became the largest bookstore chain in Canada by the mid-to-late 20th century.

But perhaps their most enduring legacy came in 1948 when they created the idea of condensing classic literature and important works into handy little booklets—what we all know as Coles Notes. This brilliant idea helped millions of students across Canada and around the world. Today, over 80 million copies of Coles Notes have been sold in more than 70 countries. They also earned royalties through their collaboration with Clifton Hillegass, who created the American counterpart, CliffsNotes.

Carl Cole died in Toronto on December 12, 1994, at the age of 82. His brother Jack, who later opened the famous World’s Biggest Bookstore, passed away three years later at age 76.

For many of us struggling through high school English, these two brothers were true lifesavers—and I’m deeply grateful to their legacy.

1912-1994