Skip to content
  • FR
FR
  • About us
    Building, illuminated glass towers on either side of an old, square, stone building.

    About us

    We're here to help you understand what the Bank of Canada does and how it matters to you.

    About the Bank of Canada

    Find out what the Bank does, who runs the Bank and how it is separate from the political process.

    Connect with us

    We'd love to hear from you! Contact us by email, phone or mail—or join us on social media.

  • Visit

    Visit

    • Plan your visit
    • Accessibility and special needs
    • Code of conduct
    • COVID-19 protocols

    Plan your visit

    Here's what you need to know, how to make the most of your visit and where to find us.

    Winterlude 2023

    Winterlude Weekends 2023

    From February 3 to 20, 2023: Join us every Saturday and Sunday throughout Winterlude for interactive family activities!

  • Explore

    Exhibitions

    • Permanent exhibition
    • Special exhibitions
    • Travelling exhibitions
    • Past exhibitions

    Blog

    Collection

    • About the Collection
    • Collection Services
    • Canadian Bank Notes Series
    • Search the Collection

    New Acquisitions—2022 Edition

    It’s a new year—the perfect time to look back at some notable artifacts the Museum added to the National Currency collection from 2022. Each object has a unique story to tell about Canada’s monetary and economic history.

  • Learn

    Learn

    • Activities and games
    • Education blog
    • External resources
    • Lesson plans
    • School programs
    • Video discussion guides

    Needs or wants? That is the question!

    Do you need it, or do you want it? That’s an important question to ask before buying anything. This activity is designed to teach kids how to prioritize their needs and wants, and how to make informed choices when shopping.

    A triangular object with a translucent background.

    The Bank of Canada Museum’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Economics

    We want to celebrate great teaching about the economy. Learn more about the award, submit a nomination, and meet the 2022 winners.

  • Home
  • The Museum Blog

New Acquisitions

By: David Bergeron


August 5, 2016

My Canadian Tire “Money” Rewards Card

The iconic Sandy McTire has appeared on many issues of Canadian Tire coupons. On the newer issues his portrait was moved to the right side of the note. Canadian Tire Corporation, 10 cents, coupon, 1961. (NCC 1966.160.2816)

My dad loved shopping at Canadian Tire! It had all sorts of items for the DIYer or handyman—everything he needed to fix his car, repair a toilet, replace a burnt-out light bulb. When I was a kid, I liked going to Canadian Tire with my dad because he gave me the Canadian Tire money that he would receive along with his change. Perhaps to him the low denominations were insignificant and he couldn’t be bothered to save them. But to me, saving Canadian Tire money was pretty cool; especially since I was too young to handle real money. I was about 9 years old, I guess, before I had managed to save enough Canadian Tire money to buy a bike. It cost around $60. At the cashier, I pulled out an enormous wad of mostly 5, 10 and 25 cent bills (with the occasional dollar). With such large stack of bills bulging out of my pockets, I felt rich!

A lot of money for 1961. Then, Canadian Tire paid 5% cash back on cash purchases, but today the amount is more like 0.5%. Canadian Tire Corporation, 1 dollar, coupon, 1961. (NCC 1967.36.2)

Although I’m a numismatist and career curator of a currency collection, I have never collected Canadian Tire money. Yes, there is a club of Canadian Tire money collectors called the Canadian Tire Coupon Collectors Club (CTCCC). It was founded in 1990 and has members across Canada and the United States. I’m not sure how many members there are, but it’s a thriving club with a quarterly publication, a website and an active meeting schedule. Its mascot, if you will, is Sandy McTire. The Scottish tam-sporting, tartan scarf-wearing, handlebar moustachioed chap has graced the face of Canadian Tire coupons—they’re actually coupons, not currency—since the late 1950s. He was supposed to represent a thrifty Scotsman, “the 1950s everyman of blue-collar Canadian,” to quote Wikipedia. For a non-collector who simply liked to save Canadian Tire money in order to buy something with it, I never really paid much attention to Canada’s most famous and recognized rewards program, nor its long history.

Canadian Tire money came in a wide range of denominations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 60 cents as well as 1 and 2 dollars. Canadian Tire Corporation, 4 cents, coupon, 1962. (NCC 1968.249.7)

The name “My Canadian Tire Money™”, ironically uses the term “Money”. The coupons were never officially money, but that was what people called them anyway. Canadian Tire Corporation, rewards card, 2015. (NCC 2015.47.1)

Now it would appear that this long history will soon be another memory of my childhood. Back in 2012, the Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) piloted a new program with a loyalty/rewards card and key tag that would allow patrons to accumulate Canadian Tire rewards points as an alternative to receiving the iconic cash‑like coupons.

In fact, Canadian Tire money is printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, the same security printing firm that prints Bank of Canada notes, Canada’s legal money. Even though I never really had an attachment to Canadian Tire money, apart from spending it, I am somewhat saddened to think that this part of Canadiana, one that even passed for real money at one time, will become extinct and replaced by yet another rewards card. I guess you can’t stop progress. And companies like Canadian Tire Corporation are constantly being challenged to find ways to cut costs and remain profitable. It is not clear exactly if or when CTC will stop issuing Canadian Tire money but, nevertheless, it will impact those that actively collect it or spend it.

The National Currency Collection has examples of Canadian Tire money and it has recently added to its collection a Canadian Tire rewards card.

We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s): Blog posts

Subscribe to The Museum Blog
The Museum Blog

January 20, 2023

New Acquisitions—2022 Edition

By: David Bergeron, Krista Broeckx


It’s a new year—the perfect time to look back at some notable artifacts the Museum added to the National Currency collection from 2022. Each object has a unique story to tell about Canada’s monetary and economic history.
Content type(s): Blog posts
December 6, 2022

Money: it’s a question of trust

By: Graham Iddon


Photo collage, parking meter, old bank notes and an early bank card.
The dollars and cents we use wouldn’t be worth anything to anybody if we didn’t have confidence in it. No matter if it’s gold or digits on a hard drive, public trust is the secret ingredient in a successful currency.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy
November 14, 2022

The day Winnipeg was invaded

By: David Bergeron


People on the street were randomly stopped and searched, and some were even arrested and imprisoned in an internment camp. Even German marks replaced Canadian currency in circulation—in the form of If Day propaganda notes.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History Grade level(s): Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
October 18, 2022

Positive notes

By: Krista Broeckx


The imagery on the Bank of Canada’s 1935 note series depicts the country’s rich industrial history.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
June 16, 2022

Army bills: Funding the War of 1812

By: David Bergeron, Graham Iddon


In 1812, British North America had no banks and little currency. With the prospect of war drying up supplies of coins, the government of Lower Canada decided to issue legal tender notes called “army bills” to pay for troops and supplies.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, History
May 5, 2022

Between tradition and technology

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, man at an easel, paintings of birds and a goose illustration with comments written on it.
What was proposed was a complete about-face from the philosophy behind recent security printing. If photocopiers could easily deal with the colours and designs of the current series, then the next series should be bold and simple.
Content type(s): Blog posts
April 21, 2022

Teaching the green economy

By: Adam Young


From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Business and careers, Economy, Geography, Science, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
April 4, 2022

Talk to your kids about money

By: Heather Montgomery


Collage, ceramic pig on background of a bank book and a stamp folder with kids on it.
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy Grade level(s): Early childhood / Kindergarten, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
March 3, 2022

Teaching inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic

By: Heather Montgomery


COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect on the economy: closing businesses, driving down demand and interrupting supplies. With news stories and popular culture addressing inflation and supply chain issues, now is the perfect time to explain this key economic concept to your high school students.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP

More Info

30 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G9, CANADA
613‑782‑8914

  • Things to do

  • Plan your visit
  • Find educational resources
  • Search the Collection
  • Connect with us
  • Things to see

  • Canadian bank notes
  • Exhibitions
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Things to know

  • Accessibility and special needs
  • Code of conduct
  • COVID-19 protocols
  • Privacy
●●
Bank of Canada Museum

Visit the Bank of Canada web site ›

We use cookies to help us keep improving this website.

Accept and continue