Eaton family (Toronto)

This article is about the Canadian retailing family. For other persons with the surname Eaton, see Eaton (surname). For other uses, see Eaton (disambiguation).
The Eaton family's mausoleum at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, with lions by sculptor Eli Harvey

The Eaton family is a Canadian family of Scottish-Irish Methodist origin. Established in Toronto, the family dynasty began in 1869 when Timothy Eaton (1834–1907) founded Eaton's, which became a national chain of department stores. At its height, the family's net worth was around $2 billion. Although the Eaton's department store chain went bankrupt in 1999, the family still holds considerable wealth.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and author Rod McQueen have dubbed them as "Canada's royal family",[1] with the CBC describing the Eatons as "homegrown aristocracy", which drew comparisons to the influential Kennedy family.[2] The Eatons were well known for their lavish lifestyle and occasional philanthropy.

  1. ^ Rod McQueen (1998). The Eatons: The rise and fall of Canada's royal family. Toronto: Stoddart. pp. 320. ISBN 0-7737-3120-2.
  2. ^ "Eaton's: Canadian royalty". CBC Digital Archives.