Harry Rosen, who founded one of Canada’s most prominent menswear retail chains, has died. He was 92.
Rosen’s eldest son confirmed his father’s Dec. 24 death in a statement.
“It’s with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our founder and visionary Harry Rosen,” Harry Rosen Inc. chairman and CEO Larry Rosen, said on Dec. 25. “His passion for menswear and fashion was contagious; his ability to teach and inspire were unparalleled.”
Founded in Toronto in 1954, the Harry Rosen retail chain grew from a single made-to-measure store to a leading destination for high-end menswear, with 15 locations and five outlet stores across Canada.
“Starting with a $500 loan and a dream, Harry willed his business into existence one client at a time,” Larry Rosen said. “The team he built and the values he instilled have helped the business span across the country, three generations, and nearly 70 years. Words simply can’t summarize the impact he had on us all.”
Harry Rosen was born and raised in Toronto to a Jewish family. According to the company, Rosen worked in a clothing factory and at a men’s haberdashery shop as a teenager before opening his first store at age 22 with his younger brother Lou. More shops followed in Toronto until Harry Rosen expanded across Canada in the 1980s.
After 51 years, Rosen stepped back from the retail chain’s day-to-day operations in 2005, but continued to advise his son and senior management while serving as executive chairman.
Speaking to CTV News Channel on Monday, Rosen’s friend and fashion journalist Jeanne Beker described the Canadian entrepreneur as “elegance personified.”
“He was just so kind, generous, and he was so amazingly caring when it came to his customers – they don’t make retailers like that anymore,” Beker said. “He built an incredible brand for himself that really raised the bar for men across the country to really get into style and really appreciate style.”
Rosen was also known for his philanthropy and contributions to groups like the Canadian Cancer Society, United Way, United Jewish Appeal and the Canadian Special Olympics. Such efforts were cited when Rosen was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2004.
“His vast leadership contributions extend beyond the business sector into the wider community,” a previous statement from the Governor General of Canada said. “Renowned for his integrity, marketing skills and business acumen, he shares these abilities equally as a community builder.”
Rosen is survived by his wife of 68 years, Evelyn, their four children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The family says donations in Rosen’s memory can be made to the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Baycrest Foundation for geriatric medicine.
Rosen’s funeral will be held in Toronto on Dec. 28.
Although the family has not released a cause of death, TVO journalist Steve Paikin reported Rosen was “suffering from the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.”
“One of this country’s most successful and prolific men’s clothing retailers has died,” Paikin wrote in a Christmas Eve tweet announcing the death. “Harry Rosen was a legend in retail circles.”
With files from CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer Hannah Alberga
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
