Carl (died 1994) and Jack (May 4, 1920 – January 22, 1997) made Coles the largest bookstore chain in Canada in the mid- to late-20th century.
Jack attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, but dropped out of high school after completing grade 10 in order to help provide for his family.
Due to his limited formal education, Jack started as a private, but within six months was promoted to a captain and stationed in England.
At their peak, there were over 120 titles, mostly dealing with English novels, but they also had numerous other subjects, including languages, mathematics, and physics.
[citation needed] In the 1960s, Hillegass gradually eliminated the Cole's version of the notes in favor the Cliff's brand.
On June 20, 2012, Stuart Smith of CBRE Commercial Real Estate Services announced the lease on the store's building, which was set to expire at the end of 2013, would not be renewed by Indigo Books and Music.