Sir John Craig Eaton

Sir John Craig Eaton

Sir John Craig Eaton, merchant, philanthropist (b at Toronto 28 Apr 1876; d there 30 Mar 1922). Third son of Timothy EATON, he worked in numerous capacities within the T. EATON CO LTD before becoming president 1907. Recognizing the opportunities for development in the West, he was largely responsible for establishing the Eaton store in Winnipeg in 1905. He also opened buying offices in Great Britain, the US, Europe and the Orient. By 1919 he had established Saturday holidays and evening closing at 5 PM in his stores, factories and mail-order offices. The Eaton Boys and Girls clubs also provided educational and recreational facilities for company employees. Eaton employees on active war service continued to receive full pay for the duration of WWI - ultimately more than $2 million. He was knighted in 1915 for his philanthropic activities.