'It's become a burden': Longstanding Moose Jaw business to auction off items before shuttering

An iconic business in Moose Jaw for the last six decades, CanaDay’s Apparel Ltd. is shutting its doors and holding a massive auction for all its assets as the owners say running the company has become too expensive.

Established in 1953, many feel the company helped to build Moose Jaw’s local economy.

"It's been a wonderful experience. We've employed probably at our peaks 300 people and provided a lot of good jobs for them,” said Murray King, a co-owner of CanaDay’s Apparel Ltd.

The business was known primarily for men’s clothing. They have been distributors for some of the country's biggest retailers, Like Hudson’s Bay and Mark’s Work Warehouse.

King has been a part of the business since he was 18-years-old.

The company stopped production in 2017 and now, everything from the building and the equipment inside will go up for auction.

"It's a burden. I mean, if you look at the taxes we pay every year, the utilities that we pay every year, its coming and there is no profit coming. I mean it's drained our bank accounts,” said King.

Sewing machines, gym equipment, desks, chairs and old computers are all up for auction, which will be put on by Jeff Schwarz, the man behind the Canadian reality show ‘The Liquidator’.

Everything in the store's possession whether it was for sale or not will be up for auction. (AngelaStewart/CTVNews) "You know everyone's got a story like this one. They asked us if we were interested in working it. So we said why not. You know Saskatchewan you know has still got a relatively good economy so we thought lets give it a shot,” Schwarz said.

• Download the CTV News app for local breaking news alerts on your smartphone

He said many businesses like CanaDay’s Apparel are being faced with economic challenges.

"Taxation is here. Everything you know we’ve constantly got property taxes going up. Rents are going up. Labour is going up, so sadly we are being uncompetitive, but there are still surprisingly a few Canadian manufactures that are producing.”

The auction is set for Thursday with the highest bidders taking home the equipment and memorabilia.