# The Jim Norton Story

## Humble Beginnings
Born in 1932 in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, to a lumberjack and a mountie, Jim Norton was, from his first breath, a true patriot for Quebec and Canada.

Growing up in the great wilderness of Quebec, Jim became a natural outdoorsman, felling trees and becoming well known for his magnificent beard. He also developed a penchant for ice hockey, joining the Trois Rivieres team to play in the NHL.

Funneling his success in hockey into his passion for coffee, Jim opened the first Jim Norton's branch in 1965 in downtown Trois Rivieres, and from there it would expand across Canada rapidly. By Jim's death, there was a store in every major Canadian city.

It's also around this time that Jim invented the store's signature pastry: the Hollander. Jim was well known for eating one every day, and he guarded the recipe well- only revealing its secret location in his will.

While not on the rink or at the cafe, Jim enjoyed the outdoors lifestyle, including hunting- though he may never have bagged a moose, we know that he was always trying.

In 1976, Jim joined the hunt for Big Larry, a moose who had already claimed the lives of three hunters before him through remarkably indirect means (2 froze to death, and the third was hit by a car while purchasing hunting supplies), which only proved the craftiness of the beast in killing its pursuers. Unable to turn down the challenge, Jim set out in hot pursuit of Big Larry through the Quebecois wilderness.

Unfortunately for Jim, Big Larry proved to be a tougher adversary than previously anticipated. While tracking the moose across a frozen lake, Jim fell through the ice, and was unable to swim to safety as his beard obscured his vision. While he may never have seen or, indeed, ever come close to finding Big Larry, Jim is remembered for his relentless pursuit of the beast, and his dedication to seeing him brought to justice.

His loss was a great blow to the Trois Rivieres hockey team, who would dedicate their first cup (earned the next season after Jim's passing) to his memory.

Today, Jim is honoured with a statue in his hometown of Trois Rivieres, showing an artistic rendition of what his victory over Big Larry might have looked like, had he ever found and slain the beast.