On Oct. 1, 2007, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'BBB+' debt rating to Toronto-based Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd.'s proposed C$300 million 5.22% MTNs (unsecured) due Oct. 1, 2010. At the same time, we affirmed all other ratings, including the 'BBB+' long-term corporate credit rating, on the company. The proceeds of the new notes will be used largely to finance the development of real estate projects. The outlook is stable. The ratings on Canadian Tire reflect the company's leading position as the country's largest hard goods retailer, specializing in the home, leisure, and automotive categories. The ratings are further supported by the company's resilient earnings and consistent same-store sales growth in the past several years, a stable capital structure,
