Tim Friesen

FGL Sports Ltd

FGL Sports Ltd.—acquired by Canadian Tire Corporation in 2011. Franchise banners: Sport Chek, Sports Experts, Atmosphere, National Sports, Intersport, Nevada Bob's Golf, Hockey Experts, Pro-Hockey Life, Sports Rousseau and L'entrepôt du Hockey. The earliest days of FGL Sports dates back to 1974, when John Forzani, former chairman of the board for The Forzani Group Ltd., opened a retail location called Forzani's Locker Room in Calgary, which sold athletic footwear, apparel, and sports equipment. The years to follow saw retail expansion and a number of business acquisitions. It continued in the early 1990s with the acquisition of Sport Chek International Ltd. in 1991, and Hogarth's Sport & Ski the following year. In the two decades leading to today, the company continued its expansion acquiring brand names such as Coast Mountain Sport, Sport Mart, Nevada Bob's Golf, National Sports, Fitness Source, and Athletes World. In 2011, Forzani Group Ltd. was acquired by Canadian Tire Corporation and renamed FGL Sports, making it Canada's ultimate sports retailer with over 1,000 stores across the country.