Hallmark

The History of Hallmark Canada

Hallmark Canada has been helping Canadians with their social expression needs for over 90 years. The true heritage of Hallmark is deeply rooted in Canada. Equipped with only 125 card designs and 10 employees, the William E. Coutts Company sold greeting cards across Canada (1916 — 1931). In the 1930's Coutts determined that a close link with the Hall Brothers Company (U.S.) could strengthen his company and proposed to manufacture the Hall Brothers cards in Canada on a royalty basis.

The relationship between these two men and the companies bearing their names flourished over time, and eventually in 1948, a handshake agreement with Hall Brothers President, Joyce C. Hall, established that a 40 per cent interest in Coutts' company would be purchased. Ten years later (1958) the Hall Brothers Company purchased the remainder of Coutts' company.

About Hallmark Products

Hallmark's core business is greeting cards, but we are about much more than that. Hallmark's product range also includes gift wrap, party ware, keepsakes, home décor and ornaments, life celebration products, and personal development activities. Hallmark Canada distributes and sells social expression products that help consumers create, celebrate and connect.

Facts about Hallmark and Christmas

If all the Hallmark Christmas cards sold in Canada were lined up end to end, they would stretch back and forth from Toronto to the North Pole six times.

Facts about Hallmark and Valentine’s Day

After Christmas, Valentine’s Day is the second-largest card-sending occasion. Approximately 40 million Valentine’s Day cards were exchanged this year.

Hallmark produced its first Valentine’s Day card in 1913. Today, Hallmark has everything Canadians need to inspire romance on Feb. 14th with more than 1,288 Valentine’s Day cards including 228 Hallmark French designs.

Hallmark offers more than 500 Valentine’s Day cards for romantic relationships, ranging from dating and new love to hot romance to companionship and everything in between.

Facts about Hallmark and Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is the third-largest card-sending occasion. Over nine million Mother’s Day cards will be given this year. Hallmark offers over 1,000 different designs, making it easy to find the card that will say “I love you” in your own special way.

The observance of Mother’s Day became official in 1914. Hallmark has been producing cards for this holiday since the early 1920s.

Anna M. Jarvis, born in 1864 in Webster, Virginia, is credited as the force behind Mother’s Day. When Jarvis was 41, her mother died. On the second anniversary of her mother’s death (the second Sunday in May, 1908), Jarvis made public her plans to establish a day to honour mothers.

Facts about Hallmark and Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the fourth largest card-sending occasion.

Fifty per cent of all Father’s Day cards are purchased for Dads, and nearly 20 per cent of Father’s Day cards are purchased for husbands. Other categories include grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, someone like a Dad, or someone special.

Mrs. Sonora Dodd of Washington first proposed the idea of a Father’s Day in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honour her father William Smart, a Civil War veteran, who was widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child.

The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington and soon after, other North American cities were celebrating their own “Father’s Day”.