Been shopping there for 30 years. My father even worked there part time in his retirement. Entered the store masked, but could not cover my nose completely because of a medical condition. Was accosted and berated by staff the second I stepped foot in the door. Explained my situation and stated very clearly that I had a medical exemption and that I was no threat to anyone since there were only three clients in the showroom. Staff escalated to management and they told me to leave. One of the other clients even spoke up for me and said, “Leave him alone, he’s got an exemption”. They refused to serve me and two staff stood threateningly in front of me until I left. The manager then said, “Don’t ever return to my store. You are not welcome here.” Leonard Lee would roll in his grave if he witnessed the abhorrent customer service occurring at his namesake business today. I’ve already relayed this story to at least a dozen friends and colleagues, all of whom confirmed that they received the same militant treatment and have stopped shopping there. One of them is a civil rights lawyer and is encouraging me to take legal action. I tend to think that there are others taking the same legal advice under advisement. This customer of 30 years is gone forever.

Just had a extremely bad experience today, I was trying to buy 20 cabinets handles and it took over 1.5 hours to finalize the sell. PLEASE, save yourself a lot of grieve and go somewhere else. We choose the handle that we wanted. took a service number, waited for our turn, gave the order sheet to the clerk, waited and waited, with him returning to share with us that they didn't have the quantity desired. Went back to the display, selected another style, filled the order sheet, took a service number, waited and waited, had another clerk that had no clue of our situation, then again returned saying that the desired quantity wasn't in stock. Then we tried matching the styles, going through this merry-go-round service with little help from the clerk as he had to go in the back to verify if they had the items in stock. After choosing our first selection, we left the store after 1.5 hour, with back orders and the clerk forgot to give us the over 10 items discount after we reminded him 3 times that the first clerk that served us promised this discount. Hey, we didn't bark to loud, we just wanted to leave the store. So you are warned, buying a single big item is not problematic, but buying multiple small items can be frustrating.

I've been struggling to track down a bandsaw blade and finally gave up on the big box stores. Lee Valley had several choices all in the length I was looking for. I was a little confused about how the process worked, in terms of selecting and then getting the item I was interested in. If you've never been here you should know that the items on the floor are simply for display. You use either a computer kiosk or pencil and paper to write down the item number(s) you are interested in. Then you have to take a number and you will be called up to the stock room desk by an associate who will pull your order from the back of the store and take you over to the checkout area. The gentleman who handled this for me was great. The associates working on the floor were also amazing and quickly explained this process to me as well as welcoming me and showing me around the sales floor. Overall, I was very impressed. Save time by looking up item numbers online even if you still want to browse the products in-store. You can also buy online and then pick it up at their express pick-up window. I didn't use this because I wanted to walk around and see what all they had.

I have worked with the direct marketing industry globally (DMAB). In my view Lee Valley has the best catalog bar none. The photography is good, but the text (prose?) is more than a simple call to action it is a siren song. I could buy a good marking gauge in basswood with a plastic thumbscrew for less, but with can say no to a rosewood tool with brass inlay or a steel and brass tool from Veritas? At a retail level the staff are knowledgeable and welcoming. Somedays I stop by just to see Martin to see/hear one of his puns ("Have you seen my key ring?" - yes a ring with a tiny key - all hand made in his workshop). The courses are excellent and reasonably priced. The fill in a slip of paper, hand it in and wait for the product to come from the back, system may remind you of Consumers Distributing. But... it keeps costs down, it is easy to find what you want and most importantly there are very few "out of stock" incidents. Lee Valley is a Canadian success story and a family business that I really like to visit.

Leanne provided exceptional service! Extra mile attitude and the only reason I would come back. Unfortunately she was the only one. It almost seemed like the older gentlemen that were working the floor were there just to take up space. Zero effort at customer service and little knowledge. I was looking for blind hinges and I got a point and "their over there"... which they weren't...unfortunately when I had further questions Leanne was either with another customer or had left the floor leaving nothing but sad excuses for support. No purchases today thanks to them. If it weren't for Leanne I'd give 1 star.

Amazing. First time visit. Staff very friendly and from overhead conversations seem to be very knowledgeable. Set up like (sorry but this dates me!) Consumers Distributing. Catalogue is on line, but there are LOTS of items in the show room. Had to restrain myself from filling my basket! Signed up for their email which they stressed was NOT shared with anyone else. Like that a lot. You can start an order on line and then come into the store and finish it there. Looking forward to going back! Didn't even get into the wood working equipment.

Getting to this location is not intuitive, mainly because you can't make a left turn off the main road to get here. So basically there is a uturn option at the nearest intersection (sortof). Inside, they have some amusing things on display. The staff are friendly, but they were a bit TOO friendly with my partner, but it's not something to de-rate them for. Great place to buy xmas gifts. I prefer to order online and pickup here, its quicker and painless. Parking is atrocious. I recommend parking farther and walking.

After a terrible experience at another hardware store, I went to Lee Valley hoping they could help me. I showed them the kitchen cupboard hinge I needed to replace. Not only did the one person I spoke to recognize the design, he took me to a sample they had on display to confirm it. Once he had confirmed the design, he provided me with the model number of the hinge and showed me how to get it from the warehouse. Ten minutes later I had the replacement hinge in my hand. It worked perfectly.

Great well-made, innovative products from extremely inexpensive to outrageously high end. Also a great website and catalogue. Staff are always courteous and helpful. Not just a place for unique hardware and specialized woodworking tools, but baking, kitchen, and gardening gizmos as well. Many are Canadian made, locally, in fact right next door. A selection of books on various related topics. I love this store, and have even enjoyed some of the courses offered at this location.

I visited Lee Valley looking to buy a quality woodworking tool for my upcoming projects. Jeff at the store did an amazing job explaining the different types of chisels and planes available. He even went the extra mile to ensure I got to try out each of the planes I considered and how to properly adjust and fine tune each once I brought it home. I am thoroughly pleased with both my plane purchase and shopping experience. I'll definitely be shopping at Lee Valley again.

This review is for Violetta! We were having trouble putting together one of Lee Valley's products. After I called, she took one out of the box at the store, figured it out and called me back with verbal instructions. And then....she took pics and a video and sent to me. Wow. The customer service in this place is from another time....love it! (When we bought the product, the guy at the counter was also super helpful and friendly. So I don't think this is a one-off).

The staff at Lee Valley Ottawa store have always provided me with exemplary, above-and-beyond service. I couldn't count the number of times in the past 20 years that they have patiently and professionally helped me arrive at the right solution for what I needed for different projects, all with a smile. This is my go-to store for all my project needs. And their products are of the upmost highest quality, many of which will last a lifetime. Thank you Lee Valley!

It was a very unwelcoming store. Staff didn't make us feel welcome, or like we knew what we were talking about. We felt like an inconvenience. You have to take a number and wait in line to ask a simple question. Then they complete a paper form to create a profile so you can shop here? A bit archaic... It was the most bizarre shopping experience I have had. Update: A few days later, I received an email newsletter from Lee Valley - marketing I didn't consent to.

Ottawa location... Was wearing a 'mask' face covering, straps don't work with my ears so I wear a n95 underneath a gaitor that covers my face and neck, was told I have to wear one of the provided masks.... sorry this isn't about public heatlh if I have to wear someone else's mask... Not an anti-masker by any means I was wearing masks before everyone in Feb 2000... I find it ignorant and offensive the way I was treated...

Haven't been here in awhile. The store has moved across the parking lot, but still has a well lit showroom. Like most stores, you have to wait to pay or get a return processed. This is the first store I have been to since February, before the pandemic broke out, and I felt quite safe here. There's a sanitizing station as you walk in and the staff disinfect the counters and area after serving each customer.

Hard to say enough about the quality of what they sell, the excellent staff willing to assist and the company policies regarding customer service. I have been going to them since they were on Queensview Dr and still look forward to going to LV ever since. With the sordid state of customer service in many retailers today, LV sure is a shining light in an otherwise bleak landscape.Good on them H Renton

The best service I have ever received in my life. Staff were really helpful in guiding me towards the type of tools I should look into as a new amateur getting into wood working. This place is excellent for special woodworking tools you can't find easily anywhere else but online. They phave excellent stock for anything you find on the floor. Overall A+++ experience! I am now a customer for life!!!

This one star is not against the employees as they are great, but for some of the items that they sell since Lee Valley doesn't allow individual reviews for them. Over the course of a year or two, I have purchased several items from the Ottawa store. Four of those items are completely garbage, even some costing up to $70 dollars. I will not be purchasing anything else from tLee Valley

I bought a hose reel unit (yard butler) and noticed part of it had rusted out. Getting in touch with Lee Valley support to find a part I ended up having the part hand delivered to me free before the weekend. I didn't even get the chance to ask about cost or haggle over how to fix it. Solution delivered with a smile from a very thoughtful customer support member at HQ. Thank you!

Bought a fermentation set with a glass disk that you drop in a mason jar. The disk was too big and got stuck in the mouth of the jar. I lost a jar of exotic pickles (only one of two). If they can't get the dimensions right on a simple glass disk what are the chances they get it right on their other items? Buy from another store that actually cares about quality.

I was disappointed to learn on my last visit that I could not purchase a simple item such as biscuit's for woodworking. In addition, it was located in stock right next door in the warehouse but they could not tell me when it would arrive. My advise is be more agile in retail staff, too much staff standing around; they could have been restocking inventory.

Cool store. My first time there. Keep in mind most everything is behind the counter and you go to the desk, after taking your member. The customer service person will go to the back and grab it for you. They have an assortment of stuff in the store itself that you can browse through but it's mostly knick knacks and other hobby type stuff.

A great selection of the specialized bits needed for various home improvement projects. The people here are very helpful and very friendly. They also have a great selection of books related to gardening and home improvement. Very comfortable environment I can for the lazy Susan hinges. I plan on coming back for Martin's hilarious puns.

Great quality products and a great selection of common and specialty tools and supplies. Be prepared for the price... "you get what you pay for" and they only carry good stuff (as far as I have experienced so far). I would prefer it if they had more showroom to browse rather than order to the desk to look at what you might buy.

I love this place! They have a massive variety of tools, gardening implements, books, gadgets, gizmos, etc etc. The quality of their merchandise is very high and if you have any issues they are available to help, but their return policy is great to. Floor staff etc extremely knowledgeable and friendly, but not at all pushy.

Hand tools, garden tools and fasteners can be found here. Of note is the ability to do pick up orders that save a lot of time waiting in line as well as telephone orders which are helpful to answers to question you might have waited in line to answer. Parking lot can be busy on the weekends. Catalogues are good reading.

I've been in Ottawa for 20+ years and I've drove by this place everyday, and never bothered to go in. Now that I'm into woodworking... this is now my favorite place of all stores! The staff is super knowledgeable, extremely nice, patient; the price is fair, the selection is HUGE, and all professional/top-notch quality

Have been a member/ customer since day one at this location. Being old school..emphasis on old I am not excited with the new world modernization of the business that has taken place since Mr. LEE passed. Needless to say staff will not be seeing my membership number at the regular intervals it was viewed in the past.

Good quality tools for the kitchen and woodworker. Sometimes have special buys which are really good deals - sign up for email newsletter to see them. Stand behind the products they make. Staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. Also have web order for pickup with special pickup location means it is very quick.

I just got a cheque from Lee Valley because the product I bought about a month ago has gone down in price . They have refunded me the difference. When was the last time this happened to anyone else from a retail store? These guys are awesome and will be going there first for anything I need in the future.

Great store with great staff that sell great stuff. Lee Valley is the store with the best quality tools for your garden. They have old fashioned quality goods that last. If anything should go wrong, they have a wonderful return policy. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about their products.

A great place with an amazing staff. They carry a great selection of hardware, gardening supplies and kitchen gadgets. Everything they sell is of the highest quality. They always seem busy but I have never had to wait long before getting service. They also have a selection of toys for the kids.

Really sorry to hear about Lee. Every time I've visited I've had a great experience here. When you go in you just go up the the counter and ask for what you want and they go to the back to get it for you. It's a really easy shopping experience and the cashiers are always pleasant to deal with.

Lee Valley Tools is one of those places I never leave empty-handed! They have a drool-inducing selection of items that are just perfect for the task at hand. The staff are all woodworkers themselves, providing all wealth of information you can tap into. Highly recommended!

Very shocking to see every employee in the store with a mask. I really prefer to see the face of the person I am dealing with. I cannot even understand what the person is telling me. It took forever until I finally had the product that was pre-ordered. Very disappointed.

Lee Valley was excellent. Been a while since I was there and the set up is different but the staff there are friendly and helpful. Picked up an emergency radio which is needed in this time and age. Has everything to help in case there's an emergency in the city.

Used to be a 5 star place where you paid extra for the advice from people on the floor. They now just have to sit in front of screens and order up options from the back for me to look at on my own. This management decision will drive me to the Internet even more

This is a really great store. With their 90 day return policy and knowledgeable staff eager to help you with your purchases, it's pretty hard to go wrong with Lee Valley. Great place for gifts. Great place for high quality hobbiest tools. I come here often.

Store is clean, well organized, and stocked with some really unique and hard to find stuff for cooks, bakers, woodworkers and gardeners, as well as toys. Staff is always friendly and you can bring your dog into the store! Overall, a great experience.

This is one of my most favourite stores in Canada's Capital Region. I first bought rare-earth magnets more than 20 years ago. Since then, I spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in magnets and some other stuff. Great customer services, too.

This old-school catalog store carries a wide variety of unique tools for workshops, kitchens, and gardens. The tool quality is usually quite good, but what I admire most is that the tools are often very clever and can't be found anywhere else.

I'd give them 6 stars if I could. I was looking for an obscure replacement part for a complex kitchen corner slide-out shelf. Couldn't find it, but Bruce found a latch that will act as a functional equivalent. Great customer service!

Smooth and easy with lots of attention to keeping everyone safe. They have a huge selection of just about anything you might want or need. Always enjoy looking through the goodies. Friendly staff as well. Lots of parking in the back.

Lee Valley customer service is second to none. They totally know and back every product they sell. You can't go wrong buying from here since their return policy is so good. But the chance you'll want to return anything is very low!

The store changed since the last time I was in. It was quiet at the time of visiting. Everything is electronic which wasn't a bad thing and the service was good and friendly. No line ups for cash which I like. I'll visit again.

Always a good experience. Just went in to check out Solitary Pollen Bee Habitat and found several other items for hime and Garden. Today was a just visit to see what was available. I'll be going back to pick up the items want.

Wonderful customer service; called to purchase a Christmas gift and send it on via courier and Paul went out of his way to make it happen. Good, old-fashioned customer service is one of the many reasons I love Lee Valley.

Five stars indeed. This place has great quality products and very unique products! Store is clean and organized. Great system to purchase items and very smart knowledgeable staff! These products they sell are ingenious!

Lots of staff to help you find things and fill your order. Tons of gardening tools, wood working tools and cooking gadgets. A fun place to buy gifts for people. Also, a source of hard to find tools. Highly recommended!

What's not to Love! These guys are simply the greatest place to shop, no matter if it's online or at one of their showrooms. I am now customer, although I did work at Lee Valley for 19 years. Great place to work too!

The best place for a lot of things! Today I went for the knobs, the selections are fantastic and don't find in elsewhere. The price is reasonable with great quality! Service is great too. Highly recommended …

Go-to source for some quality cooking tools. Great prices, friendly, helpful staff. Always look forward to the holiday gift catalogue. A wide selection of practical, quality-made gifts from near and far.

Great shop for woodworking, furniture and cabinetry tools. Everthing from how to books with all the good quality woodworking products to make anything. Their garden and hardware section is expansive.

Love shopping for gardening and yardwork equipment here. Also have a great selection of novelty and gift items (handcrafted wooden toys, diy models and crafts). Fast and easy service at the counter.

Amazing customer service, a great time to shop, Sunday afternoon. Was helped by two different people both very knowledgeable and took the time to help me with my specific needs.!! Love this store.

There is nowhere else like Lee Valley. Take a break from all the disposable, dollar store junk, and buy quality items, like in the old days. The knowledgeable staff are also very helpful.

I Love Lee Valley... trusted source, cool gadgets, environmentally friendly. My go to place when I need tools, kitchen supplies, gardening supplies. Staff are always friendly, helpful.

Fantastic merchandise and Store. The website is great and the catalogs are exceptional and varied. Staff is friendly and professional always willing to give helpful advise

Lee Valley has a large selection of unique items that are not found any place else. They now will be our first stop each year for seeds. Professional and pleasant staff.

My favourite store! Yes they have the routine stuff BUT so many unique and well made items. Fabulous staff. Often I buy unique gifts at Lee Valley for friends overseas!!

They always exceed my expectations. I wish other companies would learn how these folks do things even through the COVID crisis! Very impressed and a customer for life.

Classes, helpful attentive staff, and tons of space and items for anything you may need. Honestly, one of the best spaces to learn. The classes are highly recommended!

Good tools, lots of good quality items made in USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, Taiwan. Nice! On the downside, still lots of Made in China. Service is a bit casual.

Terrible experience at Lee Valley this passed weekend. They are more focused on what type of mask you’re wearing than providing a good customer experience.

I am a long time customer and a satisfied one. Customer service is good and returns are handled well. Products for the most part are very high quality.

A maximum 90 day warranty on supposed high-end hand tools is shockingly bad. SnapOn, MAG, even Canadian Tire guarantee their hand tools for life!

Always a pleasure to shop at Lee Valley. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and the best products. Not always the best price, but always best quality.

Great place to shop for that Discerning woodworker. Also has a great selection of gardening equipment. Friendly staff. Very easy to shop at.

I am a lifetime customer of lee valley. they have the highest quality tools and the best customer service. I have never regretted a purchase

Eye-wateringly high prices for very useful and well-made tools and useful items for gardening, cooking, woodworking, and more.

Went in to make a return and the experience was quick and easy. They have a terrific system and it made the process easy.

This place is a woodworker's paradise. The only problem is that I always end up buying way more than I came in for.

The kind of place that has the things you need but didn't know exist. Great shop for that hard to find item.

Excellent service, high quality products. Curb side pick up is very efficient and well organized.

There was much more than I expected, and so perfectly displayed and organized on the floor.

Nice store but mostly crafting stuff. I was really looking for electric woodworking tools.

Always a great place to shop. Friendly staff. Great product. Good prices. A must stop shop

First time in store. Loved all the little things out on display. Will be back again soon.

I love this place! It always seems to have a solution for life's everyday problems!

Great products. Walter had advice for everything. And my wife found the pink pig!!

Always amazing customer service. Knowledgeable and personable. Thanks!

Good advice an wire sélection of réduction which grow year after year

Ordered an item online. The curbside pickup work great. No issues.

As usual, the staff are as friendly and knowledgeable as can be.

Excellent selection of quality tools and accessories

Must for anyone looking for quality... that simple!

Returning goods was a breeze. Helpful staff.

This place has the best stuff

Best store ever! Loved it!

Always helpful staff.