Canadian Tire House Of Innovation provides the ideas and innovative solutions Canadians want to tackle the small jobs on their to-do lists

TORONTO, June 2, 2011 /CNW/ - Today, Canadian Tire launched HouseOfInnovation.ca - a new handy online resource for Canadians looking for smart ideas and help with small household jobs and joys. The site showcases videos, filmed at a real Canadian home, with instructions, hundreds of innovative products, smart ideas and clever tips to get the job done. It comes at a perfect time when Canadians are looking for motivation to cross items off their to-do list this summer.

A recent survey by Canadian Tire, conducted by Vision Critical, shows that more than half (52 per cent) of all Canadians with a to-do list for jobs around the house have five or more jobs that need to be completed. Almost the same number (48 per cent) say they don't know where to start or don't have the inspiration, and that's keeping them from getting things done around the house. With almost a third (29 per cent) of Canadians identifying themselves as a "wannabe Do-it-Yourselfer" (DIYer) or a "DIYer in training", the timing for this site couldn't be better.

"Taking care of a home in Canada is a unique challenge, with its own set of jobs and joys and our House of Innovation will showcase exactly the jobs and products to help Canadians make their homes more efficient, fun and attractive," said Duncan Reith, Senior Vice President, Merchandising, Canadian Tire. "Canadians can watch our progress online as we tackle new jobs every week and show that you don't need to be a professional carpenter or interior designer to get these jobs done. You just need the idea and the right tools, and Canadian Tire has both."

The videos featured on the site have been filmed at Canadian Tire's own House of Innovation - a real home in a real neighbourhood in Toronto. Throughout this year, Canadian Tire is making improvements to and installing innovative solutions in the house, mirroring life in Canada, week by week, season by season. The videos will be shared on HouseOfInnovation.ca for Canadians to witness the journey of the house's transformation, as they improve their own. When completely renovated, the house will be sold and profits from the sale of the house will go to Canadian Tire Jumpstart, a national charitable program that helps financially disadvantaged kids participate in organized sport and recreation.

The site will tackle jobs such as making the home more energy-efficient, improving the look of your lawn or garden, organizing your home, repairs and replacements, making your outdoor space more fun and appealing, car maintenance and more. Some of the innovative products featured in Canadian Tire's House of Innovation include:

• Blue Planet CFL and LED Night Light Bulb - flip the light switch once and it's a regular CFL bulb, flip the switch twice and it becomes an LED night light
  
  
• Plug In Anywhere Switch - great for wireless, remote control of festive or everyday household lighting
  
  
• Retract-A-Bit Screwdriver - allows you to change bits with the push of a button, making it easy to operate with one hand and tackle those small jobs
  
  
• Delta Pilar Touch Pull-Down Faucet - start and stop the flow of water with just a tap anywhere on the spout or handle

The survey commissioned by Canadian Tire also found that plumbing is the most dreaded job on the to-do lists of both men and women, with 28 per cent ranking it as the worst. When it comes to tools, men and women have different preferences. Women tend to prefer working with manual tools, choosing a hammer (15 per cent) as the one tool they couldn't live without, while men opt for power tools, with 19 per cent choosing the power drill as the one tool they couldn't live without. But when it comes to small jobs, both genders agree (52 per cent): the screwdriver is indispensible.

To find out more about the exciting jobs Canadian Tire is taking on at the House of Innovation, please visit http://HouseOfInnovation.ca/.

ABOUT CANADIAN TIRE
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX:CTC.a) (TSX:CTC) is one of Canada's most-shopped general retailers, offering everyday products and services to Canadians through more than 1,200 retail and gasoline outlets from coast-to-coast. Our primary retail business categories - Automotive, Living, Fixing, Playing and Apparel - are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division, which offers such products and services as credit cards, in-store financing, product warranties, and insurance. Nearly 57,000 people are employed across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted brands.

About the survey
From May 9^th to May 10^th, 2011, an online survey was conducted among a sample of 1,025 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.