Timothy Eaton Statue

In 1919, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Eaton's, advertising employee Ivor Lewis was commissioned to design a statue in honour of owner Timothy Eaton.  He sculpted two statues in bronze, one for the Toronto Store on Queen Street,the other for the Winnipeg Store on Portage Avenue.  On December 8, widow Margaret Eaton and son Sir John Craig, were there for the unveiling of the bronze statue.  Three days later, a similar ceremony took place in Winnipeg.

The Toronto statue sat near the store's front doors, where customers used to rub Timothy's left shoe for good luck.  Over the years, the left shoe became a bit tarnished while the right shoe remained a shiny bronze.  When the store was demolished to make room for the Eaton's Centre, Timothy Eaton's statue was moved to the ROM where it remains today.  The Winnipeg statue is now on display in the MTS Centre.

Timothy Eaton statue courtesy https://maryloudriedger2.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/img_3872.jpg.