r/canadaguns • u/dke783 • Apr 16 '26

Buy recommendations How YEG's Mega Canadian Tire broke my heart this weekend...

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I went to the double-decker South Common Canadian Tire in Edmonton. My very first time, I was so excited to see hundreds of Edmonton guns that would rival Leduc Canadian Tire's selection!

Had some tax return money to spend.

And then this happened...

160 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

80

u/Acceptable-Grade-116 Apr 16 '26

Sounds like a job opportunity to me.

"You guys need a sales guy with a gun license?"

29

u/TheSockington Apr 16 '26

The fact they make employees use a CT based credit card for their discounts was a big turnoff when they took over PartSource

14

u/splooges Apr 17 '26

Sure, but the CT World Elite MC is actually one of the best no-fee credit cards in Canada. The 3% cashback on groceries and free roadside assistance (normally worth >$100/year plan) are great even if you dont regularly shop at CT.

I wouldnt count it as much of a turn-off. Plus the weekly offers (get money back for a certain cash spend) and 4% cashback is nice for ammo and reloading components that don't regularly go on sale (if your local CT carries them). 

10

u/TheSockington Apr 17 '26

We used to get cost + 6% on parts because we had a franchisee store. Once CT proved PartSource was a viable thing, they started taking over the franchisee stores to corporate and it was just a bad taste on the switch. I’m sure the program has got much better over the past decade but it was a slightly different angle. I’ve long since disappeared into unionized industrial construction.

6

u/TheSockington Apr 17 '26

Actually, 4% in cashback for ammo won’t even cover the average markup differences between Canadian tire and most firearm retailers.

Regular Price example: S&B .357 FMJ - 38.99 at Bullseye and 54.99 at CT.

None of this is snarky, but Canadian Tire is basically a warehousing company that wants to lock franchise owners into ordering their inventory. Needing to use an employer’s credit service to access an employee discount feels like a thinly veiled credit trap given the wages paid.

4

u/splooges Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26

Actually, 4% in cashback for ammo won’t even cover the average markup differences between Canadian tire and most firearm retailers.

In aggregate, sure. But certain products are basically the same price between Canadian Tire and most firearm retailers. For example, if you compare the prices of Barton's Big Country and the local Canadian Tire in Grande Prairie, Hornady's ELD-X and SST bullets are pretty much the same price (the two product lines that I'm currently interested in).

Also, sometimes you get lucky and Canadian Tire hasn't updated their pricing on products that have been sitting on their shelf for a long time - e.g. it's sold out now but CFE BLK was $55/lb (I may have contributed to the sell-out lol) at the GP CT vs $85 at Barton's. For my use case (marksmanship practice with cheap-ish ammo at a 200m range), that is a great deal and I wish I bought more.

CT's weekly offers (e.g. 5$ cashback off $80 spend, etc.) also stack on top of the 4% baseline cashback.

I'm not saying it's worth it all the time, but it's often enough that I do regularly check out the firearms department at the local CT.

3

u/TheSockington Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26

Agreed that it’s worth the tour but just keep a sense of what a deal is. I cleared out my local CT of what they had left of PPU 300wm 165g range ammo when they clearance marked it at $30/box.

4

u/splooges Apr 17 '26

Definitely. Before any purchase at CT I'd be on my phone doing a price comparison with other retailers to confirm that I am actually getting a good price, and I recommend others do the same (not you specifically lol, just in general).

2

u/DougMacRay617 Apr 16 '26

I was there that day and they are not hiring for pro shop.

28

u/GinnAdvent Apr 16 '26

One of the Canadian Tire in Vancouver is like this. They have ok selection, but it's like locked half of the time because only staff with PAL can open that section of the store. And they are only there part time, lol.

6

u/69-GTO Apr 16 '26

Sounds like the Grandview store. Every time I go there I pop upstairs to see if there are any sales. There’s never anyone there.

6

u/GinnAdvent Apr 16 '26

Yup, that's the one.

Met another patron there who were there to pick up some optics, and we just stand infront of locked cabinet and chatted about guns for an hour waiting for the staff to show up.

4

u/MourningWood1942 Apr 16 '26

The guy that works there is a cuck and is the least pleasant person I’ve experienced. I don’t say that often, he makes it seem like I’ve inconvenienced him from sitting in his chair with his feet up

2

u/grease_gun Apr 17 '26

If it’s the same one from a few years ago, I waited for him to deal with someone else, then he ran them down to the register, came back 15 minutes later smelling of cigarette and seemed surprised I was still there. It was a decent deal that I was waiting for; now I wander through but it’s usually closed.

2

u/mew-pew-pew Apr 18 '26

Better off giving your money to the dedicated gun shops in the lower mainland anyway. Reliable Gun even just opened up a new second location so they're in both Vancouver and Langley now.

15

u/thehuntinggearguy 3gun, Mapleseed, YouTuber, SlamFire Radio, Revolver-hater Apr 16 '26

How'd the prices look?

9

u/ryan9991 ALBERTA Apr 16 '26

Asking the real questions!

8

u/dke783 Apr 16 '26

Gads, I wanted to photograph the product labels at least. But the damn security gate obscured all line of sight!

4

u/DougMacRay617 Apr 16 '26

Same as bass pro

1

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Apr 16 '26

Doubt that, bass pro is typically on the more expensive side when compared to most other places, at least compaired to swamp donkey, P&D Leduc Canadian Tire, RDSC and CSC, or Gold and loan

2

u/DougMacRay617 Apr 16 '26

Thanks tips we aren't talking about leduc canadian tire or any of the LGS's. These gun prices at the south common location were on par with bass pro.

1

u/ssgfrmrswrp Apr 17 '26

How are swamp donkey and gold and loan? Ive only ever gone to p&d

2

u/GodsGiftToWrenching Apr 17 '26

Swamp donkey isn't quite as good as P&D bit still better than canelas by a long shot, Gold and loan are pretty similar to P&D

11

u/Technoaddict Apr 16 '26

Recently went to a Canadian tire to get some ammo but the whole section was locked just as your picture. I was told the new owner of the location doesn’t have a license so he can’t move the products. What a waste of my lunch hour.

8

u/FedInformant Apr 16 '26

Wild. Ive never seen that. Leduc canadian tire is pretty good if you dead set on canadian tire.

9

u/dke783 Apr 16 '26

Oh, I will definitely sing from that same choir sheet!
Leduc Canadian Tire is the Alberta gold standard for me for shooting inventory!

3

u/FedInformant Apr 16 '26

Yea they are the closest place to me that carry PMC X-TAC so I go there for that

1

u/DougMacRay617 Apr 16 '26

I always wondered who pays those crazy ammo prices

1

u/FedInformant Apr 16 '26

$17 a box of PMC M855 is pretty standard, when you factor in buying online and paying for shipping

1

u/DougMacRay617 Apr 16 '26

Not really. You can get for 73c a round if you buy atleast 500.

1

u/FedInformant Apr 16 '26

Yea, ill always go somewhere else if im buying bulk. But if im spending 100 bucks ill go there.

1

u/Rogan403 Apr 17 '26

Truth. Down here in the hat selection is a bit more limited but at least there's always someone with a PAL working so I can buy firearm stuff any time I'm there at least

6

u/Response-Cheap Apr 16 '26

That sucks. I'm jealous that some people still have access to CTs that give a shit about guns..

My local CT has a cabinet no bigger than a fridge for their overpriced ammo, and like 5 BB guns locked in a similar cabinet. And that's it.

3

u/RecipeAlternative854 Apr 17 '26

I went in one time to buy C02 for an air pistol and it took them 30-40 minutes for an employee beacuse they thought it was ammunition and they needed someone a PAL -_- Seems this is common place with Crappy tire.

The whole needing a PAL thing for them to sell stuff is really stupid and I feel like there should be some amendment or something, There's no way it doesn't impact sales negatively.

2

u/steeleclipse2 Apr 17 '26

Side note I almost had a stroke trying to read that sign

1

u/dke783 Apr 17 '26

But there were only two spelling errors in that sign! ​

2

u/RedBoyRob Apr 17 '26

Support local shops. F Canadian tire

4

u/Chesterrumble Apr 17 '26

You have a tax refund not a tax return

2

u/dke783 Apr 17 '26

But... The government is returning money to me! Lolol

1

u/sheepsix al Apr 17 '26

Thank you. I've given up correcting people.

1

u/DonAzuld Apr 16 '26

CT sucks for this. I had to return 3 times to buy a gun once.

1

u/DentistPlayful3941 Apr 17 '26

Where is it located i need to go now lol

-1

u/1anre Apr 17 '26

Thought only Cabela's sold firearms in regular looking stores didn't know Canadian Tire adopted the US Walmart model too

3

u/InitialAd4125 Apr 17 '26

Canadain Tires have been selling guns for a long while although not all locations do for example my local one is trying to move there stock because they really can't compete with all the other gun stores in the area.

-1

u/mischling2543 Apr 17 '26

I never knew there two story CTs lol

4

u/Cre_AK47 Name Prohibited by OIC Apr 17 '26

There's a 2 story CT in Ottawa, too. That's actually the largest Canadian Tire in Canada now. The retarded thing though is that they don't sell firearms because liberal/anti-gun pansies -_- ...

Last Ottawa CT stopped selling guns in 2019.

2

u/Natural_Comparison21 Apr 17 '26

Our of curiosity do they still sell ammo? Some CTs don’t sell guns less because of the anti gun policy’s of the government and more so the location is just not profitable. As if I am being honest most CT firearm selections have never been great and you can get better deals elsewhere. The only thing you might be willing to fork some money out for is there over priced ammo if you are desperate enough like myself lol.

2

u/Cre_AK47 Name Prohibited by OIC Apr 17 '26

They still do! All CTs in Ottawa do as a matter of fact. Only time will tell at this point though.