It was one of the worst-kept secrets in Canadian music. Was the “late-night record shop” Steven Page sang of in the Barenaked Ladies megahit Brian Wilson, in fact, the original Sam the Record Man location on Toronto’s Yonge Street? Page confirmed the reference with a tweet when founder Sam Sniderman died in 2012. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement Advertisement“He actually put their music front and centre into his store beside the Rolling Stones and The Who,” Alper said on CanadaAM. Believe it or not, the last Sam’s in the world is still operating in a mall in Belleville, Ont., as an independent franchise.

Source: National Post February 25, 2026 14:20 UTC