Ottawa-born retailer Giant Tiger celebrates 60th birthday

An iconic local retailer is celebrating one giant birthday Monday night, with a free concert.

Giant Tiger is marking 60 years since the opening of its first store in the ByWard Market. Since then, the business has expanded to more than 260 locations across Canada and currently has more than 10,000 employees.

President and CEO of Giant Tiger Paul Wood explains the company's commitment to local communities has stayed the same over the years, even though the retail landscape has changed dramatically.

“Our franchise operators live and work in the communities they serve. They are able to really set down roots and establish themselves within the local community whether it be business or the charitable community,” said Wood.

A free, bilingual virtual concert is being held Monday night, with acts like Lawrence Gowan from Styx, River Town Saints, country music singers Kalsey Kulyk and Eric Ethridge, as well as Vincent Vallières and Guylaine Tanguay.

“Our virtual birthday party gives us a chance to connect with and celebrate with people across the country with performances by iconic Canadian artists. We cannot think of a better way to kick off the next 60 years of our iconic brand,” says Senior Vice President Marketing and Strategy, Cindy-Lynn Steele.

The show starts at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on the company's official Facebook pages, Giant Tiger, and Tigre Géant.