As the remains of Toys "R" Us continue to be sold off for scrap here in the U.S., our neighbors to the north have a much brighter picture... the sale of Toys "R" Us Canada to Fairfax Holdings Limited. The sale keeps the iconic Toys "R" Us brand alive in Canada, along with Geoffrey the Giraffe and Babies "R" Us. TRU Canada is now an entirely Canadian-owned and operated business employing more than 4,000 Canadians as the only exclusive coast-to-coast business with over 80 locations dedicated to kids and babies.

In a statement sent out this evening, Melanie Teed-Murch, President of Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us Canada said: "As Canada's leading toy and baby retailer, we are thrilled to be part of the Fairfax family and to now operate as a reinvigorated company that is 100% Canadian. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our customers for their loyalty and for choosing to shop at Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us. We are passionate about our business and want Canadians to know that we are champions of play with the newest trends and hottest toys in our stores. We believe that parenting is an adventure and Babies "R" Us Canada will be there along the journey to help parents. We are also excited about our future and look forward to inviting customers back to see what's new in store."

This summer, Toys "R" Us will be moving full steam ahead in getting the message to Canadians that the company is "here to play, here to stay!" "We will be challenging kids, parents, grand-givers and kids at heart to embrace the power of play. At Toys "R" Us, we believe that moments of joy, endless possibilities of fun and the wonder of imagination all happen through play," said Teed-Murch.

One of the biggest concerns here in the States (aside from the loss of over 33,000 jobs) was the loss of support for numerous charitable causes. Toys "R" Us Canada remains committed to its philanthropic initiatives and its support of communities across the country. Each year, the company raises nearly $2 million to support its partners through the generous support of its customers and team members. Beginning this month, Toys "R" Us will host 10 Starlight Dashes across Canada in which seriously ill children from the Starlight Children's Foundation will have three minutes to race around the store and fill their carts with toys.

All customer programs like Baby Registry, "R"Club™ loyalty and wish list are running just as customers know and love. Gift cards purchased in Canada can be redeemed anytime online and in any store location across the country. In the coming months, the company will roll out exciting new innovations that have proven successful at recently opened stores in Langley, British Columbia and Barrie, Ontario. This format includes dedicated play areas, interactive stations for kids and mobile pay. The evolving omnichannel strategy connects customers wherever, whenever and however they want through our webstore, mobile and store shopping experience.

Cheers to our friends north of the border! This is great news for families and for the toy industry in Canada and beyond! Check out http://www.toysrus.ca for more.