Archibald Jacob Freiman was born in
Lithuania in 1880, and emigrated to
Hamilton, Ontario. Freimans rose to become the most successful department store in Ottawa because of its prominent location at Mosgrove and
Rideau Streets, its aggressive marketing and its low prices. The company also operated stores in
Westgate and
St. Laurent Shopping Centres, as well as discount stores called
Freimart in
Shoppers City West and Shoppers City East. Then owned by A.J. Freiman's son, Lawrence (who wrote a book about the store),
Hudson's Bay Company acquired the company in 1972 and rebranded it to
The Bay in 1973. The former Freimans store continued to operate as a retail store of The Bay until the chain's closure in 2025, and an adjoining
arcade linking Rideau Street to the
Byward Market is named the
Freiman Mall in honour of the longtime Ottawa retailer. In addition, the laneway around the north side of the nearby
National Arts Centre which provides access to the
box office has been named Lawrence Freiman Lane. Freimans was also the centre of an important battle against
antisemitism. In the 1930s, Ottawa police officer Jean Tissot, affiliated with
Adrien Arcand's
fascist movement, attempted to rally Christian Canadians to boycott Jewish businesses. Freimans, as the most prominent Jewish owned business in Ottawa was at the centre of his attacks. As a result, Freiman filed suit against Tissot, who was subsequently found guilty of criminal libel. The staunch condemnations of Tissot in the mainstream press and the utter failure of his movement to find support among the people led to a sound defeat for antisemitism in Ottawa. == See also ==