Grand and Toy, the family owned, all-Canadian office supply company
On a beautiful mild March day at St. James the-Less Cemetery in Toronto, I discovered the graves of two remarkable entrepreneurs—James Grand and Samuel Toy, the founders of what would become Canada’s iconic office supply retailer, Grand & Toy.
James Grand started humbly in 1882, going door-to-door with a wheelbarrow, selling stationery. Just a year later, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Samuel Toy, to open a retail office supply store near the famous King Edward Hotel. They named it “Grand & Toy.”
James and Samuel in front of their first store.
After Samuel Toy’s passing in 1906, James Grand took full control of the company. The Grand family ran the business for nearly a century, growing it into a household name. By the time Grand & Toy celebrated its centennial in 1982, it had expanded to 35 thriving locations across Canada—places many of us remember visiting to stock up on school and office supplies.
In later years, Grand & Toy became part of OfficeMax, which then rebranded as Office Depot.
Samuel Martin Toy died in Toronto on March 1, 1906. He was 36.
James Grand died in Toronto on November 7, 1921. He was 64.
1869-1906
1857-1921
James Grand’s grave with moss overtaking the monument making it hard to make out his name.
