Black Friday.

The American Thanksgiving shopping tradition hasn’t always lived up to the hype in Canada.

But that may have changed this year. Between a weak Canadian loonie discouraging cross-border shopping, and Canadian retailers digging a little deeper with their discounts, Black Friday in Canada might just be coming of age.

In Ottawa, several stores reported early-morning line-ups as shoppers camped out for those door-crasher specials. The staff at Best Buy on Coventry Road actually cheered and applauded as several dozen customers filed through the doors at 6am.

With discounts ranging up to 50% on some items, business was brisk throughout the day. “I’m saving a hundred and fifty dollars,” boasted John Patafie of his $200 computer monitor. “I just bought a vacuum for half price,” said Jun Chao.

“It’s pretty crazy,” says Dena Lundon, a cashier at the Canadian Tire next door. “We had a line-up outside this morning waiting to come in and it’s been going heavy ever since.”

The Canadian-based retailer is putting its own spin on American Black Friday, starting Thursday and calling it The Big Red Weekend. Store manager Geoffry Soucy says they could do as much sales in four days as they do in a slow month. “It’s pretty awesome. The customers are happy. My staff are happy,” he says.

And it’s not just the big box stores. Down on Rideau Street, people were lined up in the rain waiting to get into NRML, a small, local clothing retailer that offered some considerable discounts on the day. “We’d rather have our customers in store and local, to have the same opportunities to support a local business like this,” says manager Brenda Dwyer.

Carrie Irvine with the St. Laurent Shopping Centre says she could tell quite early in the day that this Black Friday felt bigger than last year. Some retailers have told her it is now bigger than Boxing Day. “People want to get those deals before Christmas so they can have something under the tree for their loved ones,” she says.

“I think the deals are better this year,” adds shopper Chelsea Dagenais. “I think Canada is starting to get a little more into the swing of things.”

Many malls and stores are also using Black Friday to kick off their extended holiday hours. Just like in the U.S., it has become the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season.

And don’t forget, in Canada, there’s also Boxing Day.