The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's and then Eaton, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's grew to become a retail institution in Canada, with stores across the country and a mail-order catalog that was found in the homes of most Canadians. A changing economic and retail environment in the late twentieth century culminated in the chain's bankruptcy in 1999.
Eaton’s first Edmonton location opened in 1929 at 102 St NW and 102 Ave. This original location included an additional building dedicated to mail-order fulfillment, which served Eaton’s mail orders for all of Western Canada. In August 1987, a new store, now called Eatons with no apostrophe, opened in Edmonton at 101 St NW and 102 Ave. The giant four-level department store was the anchor for the Eaton Centre mall, which featured 55 stores and services in its first phase. Additionally, a time capsule was created and sealed with the intention of being opened in 2019 to celebrate the 150-year anniversary of Eaton’s. Eatons was built directly beside the original Edmonton Eaton’s location, which was demolished the following year to begin construction on phase two of the Eaton Centre mall.
Eatons operated in this location until the Eaton's chain went out of business in 1999. At this point, Eaton Centre mall merged with the neighboring Edmonton Centre to become Edmonton City Centre Mall. In 2002, The Bay moved into the former Eatons location.
Throughout the many decades in which Eaton’s operated in Edmonton, staff members created and distributed “The Edmontonian,” a monthly newsletter publication dedicated to sharing the interests and news of Eaton’s staff members.