Woodworkers, DIY’ers welcoming new store to Pickering, Ontario

A family-owned company trusted by gardeners, makers and DIY enthusiasts across the country is expanding into Pickering, with Lee Valley Tools opening in the Shops of Pickering Ridge plaza Sept. 20.

Lee Valley has carved out a reputation as a retailer of quality tools, from chisels, planes and crosscut saws for woodworkers, garden hoses and pruning tools for gardeners and an eclectic mix of other products from juice presses and camping gear to LED lighting.

What began as a small Ottawa-based mail-order business in 1978 has grown into a national brand with nearly 20 stores across the country, welcoming beginners and experts alike.

The company has its own manufacturing arm, Veritas Tools, for carpenters, woodworkers and do-it-yourself folk.

Lee Valley Tools has also earned a slot in the Forbes Top 500 Employers list (2018) for its policy of enforcing and codifying the concept of ‘pay slope,’ limiting the pay at the highest levels in the company based on what the lowest paid employees earn

Media and invited guests will get a sneak peek at the new place (next to Cora’s) on September 19, with a chance to meet the Lee Valley team.

The plaza is set for a major makeover over the next 20 years with a mixed-use development that will include seven high-rise buildings, some towering 43 floors into the sky, in the works, along with existing and new retail.