Keswick, ON, November 28, 2011 - Keswick Home Hardware has been chosen to be profiled in a 90-second television feature that will air across Canada on November 30 during CTV's Canada AM as part of Home Hardware's Home Town Stories series profiling the many ways that local Home Hardware Dealers get involved with their communities.

The feature tells the story of the community skating rink that Keswick Home Hardware has been building every winter for the past seven years. In 2004, Steve and Kim Clee, Dealer-Owners of Keswick Home Hardware, observed that demand for ice time at the local rink exceeded what was available. To fill the gap, the Clees worked with the Township of Georgina to build an outdoor ice rink beside their Keswick neighbourhood.
"Keswick is a hockey loving town," said Steve Clee. "The rink brings the entire community together to enjoy Canada's favourite past-times: hockey and skating."

Every year, people of all ages in the community come together to maintain the ice, play pick-up games and teach younger children how to skate and play hockey. Local residents contribute to the atmosphere by decorating the trees behind their houses with Christmas lights to give the rink a festive cheer, while the Clees light the rink every night from their own home. In partnership, the Township of Georgina supplies the plastic beds required to build the rink and Keswick Home Hardware supplies the equipment and materials used to maintain the ice.

"It's so great to see what a positive effect this skating rink has on the community," said Kim Clee. "Children race to the rink every day after school and share the space in total harmony. Seeing this community spirit means a lot to the staff at our store and to my family."

Home Hardware Stores Limited has been a community-based business since its inception in 1964, one that encourages its Dealers and staff to build meaningful, long-term relationships with the neighbourhoods they serve. In communities across Canada Home Dealers work hard to ensure that they are making a difference; donating to local charities and initiatives, sponsoring local teams, participating on community councils and volunteering for community clean-up and beautification projects and many other local projects.

The story was selected as one of 20 finalists and a film crew visited the community this summer. The clip can also be viewed online at www.myhometownstory.ca.

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
100% Canadian owned and operated, Home Hardware Stores Limited has a presence in every Canadian province and territory and is the country's largest independent, Dealer-owned hardware, lumber, building materials and furniture cooperative. Founded on January 1, 1964 by 122 independent hardware Dealers, the cooperative now includes more than 1,080 stores, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture banners, with annual collective retail sales of more than $5 billion. Home Hardware's independent Dealer-Owners, recognized by the North American Retail Hardware Association as Canada's best-trained Dealer group, have access to 100,000 quality brand name and private label products, a world-class distribution system and draw upon the power of Home Hardware's network to provide their local communities with top quality products and services at competitive prices.

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For more information, please contact Kim and Steve Clee, Dealer-Owners, Keswick Home Hardware at (905) 476-4923.