Former Canadian Department stores

TOBoy · #1 Posted: **Aug 5, 2012, 6:21 PM**

With the pending demise of the Zellers chain across Canada, I was wondering about some of the other big department store chains across Canada no longer around. Stores like Kmart, Woolco, Woodwards, Simpsons and Eatons.

Anyone have any pictures of these stores? I've found a few, but not an easy task! I will add more as I have time, but would appreciate any help.

Simpsons

Simpsons - Yorkdale Mall Toronto

Source: http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/05/w...ke_in_toronto/
Author: Unknown

Simpsons - Sherway Gardens Toronto

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrellinyvr/4965915182/
Author: darrellinyvr

Eatons

Eatons - Yorkdale Mall Toronto

Source: http://torontoist.com/2009/11/histor...wntown_uptown/
Author: City of Toronto Archives

Eatons - Sherway Gardens Toronto

Source: http://ashworthassociatespr.blogspot...herway_03.html
Author: unknown

Eatons - Eaton Centre Toronto

Source: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/englis...ons/index.aspx
Author: Archives of Ontario

Kmart Canada

Kmart - Lynden Park Mall Brantford

Source: http://www.sitefile.org/showimage/172/kmart.htm
Author: Brant Museum and Archives

GORDBO · #2 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 1:49 AM**

don't forget Woolworths. The Met. and Woodwards [B.C.]

caltrane74 · #3 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 2:02 AM**

Kmart is not Canadian.

sa230e · #4 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 2:03 AM**

I just barely remember Woolco. I was just a little kid when it shut down. Used to be one here in Windsor near Tecumseh mall, I think. From the Windsor Star:

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2011/02/09/woolco/

Interesting thread, by the way.

Dalreg · #5 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 2:05 AM**

I will find some pictures later, but the old Army and Navy Department Store in downtown Saskatoon was renovated and turned into the Saskatoon School Boards HQ. At least the outside shell was kept even though the inside was gutted.

Doug · #6 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 2:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDBO

don't forget Woolworths. The Met. and Woodwards [B.C.]

Woodwards was in AB and BC. It had 6 stores in Edmonton.

SpongeG · #7 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 4:43 AM**

victoria woodwards

park royal (west vancouver)

miketoronto · #8 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 3:02 PM**

Pictures and most sq footage from the Department Store Museum website.
http://departmentstoremuseum.blogspot.ca/

EATONS TORONTO QUEEN STREET STORE(replaced with the Eaton Centre)
1.6 million sq feet

EATONS COLLEGE STREET STORE - HOME STORE
600,000 sq feet

EATONS Downtown Toronto complexe of the Queen Street and College Street stores would make EATONS Toronto one of the largest department stores in North America if not the world, with over 2 million sq feet. Beat by probably only MACY'S in NYC, and Hudson's in Detroit.

EATONS DOWNTOWN WINNIPEG
875,000 sq feet

SIMPSONS DOWNTOWN MONTREAL
About 500,000 sq feet.
Part of the building is now SIMONS

EATONS DOWNTOWN MONTREAL
About 1 million sq feet

casper · #9 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 5:17 PM**

As a kid growing up in Vancouver the department store my family shopped at was always Woodwards. The old Woodwards building in Vancouver and the old Oakridge Centre when it was an open air shopping centre are now gone.

Picture by Jonesy22 on Wikipedia

Still have the same name but now replaced by this beautiful building:
Woodward's Building on Wikipedia

One that came close to closing but at the last minute was saved was the Field's Department Store. After Hudson's bay announced that they were going to all close someone bought out the brand the locations in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and NWT.

casper · #10 Posted: **Aug 6, 2012, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalreg

I will find some pictures later, but the old Army and Navy Department Store in downtown Saskatoon was renovated and turned into the Saskatoon School Boards HQ. At least the outside shell was kept even though the inside was gutted.

It was originally built as the downtown Eaton's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton%2...ing_(Saskatoon)

MolsonExport · #11 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 12:46 AM**

Fairview, in Pointe Claire (Montreal Suburb). old simpson's (now, La Baie), in 1965

hbc

Eaton's, at Fairview:

the Department store Museum

Morgan's (now La Baie), Downtown Montreal

the Department store Museum

Dupuis, Downtown Montreal

the Department store Museum

ConundrumNL · #12 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 1:10 AM**

The London (New York, Paris) in St. John's: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-...u.aspx?id=2083

someone123 · #13 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 1:31 AM**

Halifax has had a bunch, though nothing was as dominant as the Eaton's or Bay locations in Western Canada. The brick building in the middle of this photo used to be the downtown Eaton's (photos are mine):

The stone building on the far corner was Zeller's:

1953:

Source

This one's obscure. It was a two storey store on Gottingen Street called "The People's Store". I've read that it was a department store but I don't know much about it:

Source

Mills Brothers on Spring Garden Road has been in business since 1919 or so:

One early suburban store was the Chebucto Road Simpson's, built around 1920 or so at the end of one of the streetcar lines. This store was open as the Sears discount outlet until about 10 years ago, when it was renovated into office space in a somewhat unfortunate way:

Source

Source

There are some older mall ones from the 1950's and 60's similar to the ones pictured above. They're nothing special architecturally.

someone123 · #14 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 1:52 AM**

Here's another interesting one. Margolian's, a local department store in Truro, NS. Photo is from 1947 -- definitely a busier town back then:

Source

Dalreg · #15 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 12:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

It was originally built as the downtown Eaton's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton%2...ing_(Saskatoon)

Yep I discovered that while looking for photos. Not many department stores have led lives as two different ones .

Xelebes · #16 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 1:05 PM**

Revillion Freres was the main competitor to the Bay in the 1910-1920s. Had a neat warehouse/store in Edmonton.

Image

artvandelay · #17 Posted: **Aug 7, 2012, 6:17 PM**

Woodward's was the place to shop in my family. I'm too young to remember it at all, but my grandma worked at the Chinook Centre location for years. It was pretty much the Western Canadian equivalent of Eaton's. Each store had a "food floor" which were taken over by Safeway's, and the stores themselves were bought by the Bay.

I have to say that the Woodward's development in Gastown is my favourite condo project in Canada, so it's nice to see the name live on.

http://www.miss604.com/2011/03/on-th...woodwards.html

manny_santos · #18 Posted: **Aug 9, 2012, 2:32 AM**

Eaton's in London, Ontario, located at Wellington Square. The store closed in 1999.

images.delcampe-static.net

This is another view of the same Eaton's, from 1979.

barp.ca

Nouvellecosse · #19 Posted: **Aug 9, 2012, 6:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Here's another interesting one. Margolian's, a local department store in Truro, NS. Photo is from 1947 -- definitely a busier town back then:

Source

As far as I know, Margolians is stil in Truro, THe brand used to consist of twin locations in Truro and Amherst, but now the Amherst location is called "Dale's". Nothing about the store has really changed though.

But yeah, it really bugs me that Halifax doesn't have any current downtown department stores. Sure Mills Brothers is there, but I believe it only sells women's clothes. Not exactly a true department store imo.