Dead Malls of Canada

[esquire]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Might have gone to that mall on a semi-regular basis as a kid. Will have to ask ma and pa to be sure. When you're really small all the malls look alike!

So K'Mart was the other anchor. Damn, forgot all about them. Guess that's what Cinema City Northgate was orginally.

Any idea when Northgate was built?

Haha... this mall was a regular stop for me when I was a little kid. This is not an official history by any stretch but a rough recollection:

Northgate was built in 1962. It would have definitely been among the first shopping centres of its kind in the city.

In the early 80s which is about as far back as my memory goes, Northgate was either a strip mall or a "half' mall with an enclosed walkway but only stores on one side... I can't remember which. K-Mart was at one end with a bowling alley at the other. Zellers was attached but I don't think there was an indoor connection... the Zellers was an addition to the original part, it was added on around 1980.

Then in the mid 80s there was a renovation and expansion... this was when Northgate was at its absolute apex. It became a fully enclosed, L-shaped mall from Zellers to the south tip where the bowling alley was replaced by a food court, a kid's play place (Playzone) and a Bargain Harold's (the Giant Tiger of its day). This was a full on shopping and entertainment destination for the blue collar folks of North Winnipeg.

Then the recession of the early 90s hit followed by the arrival of Wal-Mart. The party was over for Northgate. In the mid-90s things were shaken up when K-Mart closed. Zellers renovated expanded to swallow up much of that space. The south end of the mall became Cinema City. Since then it has just been a few small changes here and there. I haven't been in there much since Zellers closed, but it does appear that the mall hasn't been dealt a death blow by their departure. However, the quality of tenants has been steadily declining since the 80s... it's basically down to a bunch of small-time, mom and pop shops.

I'd love to know what they're going to do with this mall... McPhillips Street seems to have all the retail it needs at the moment. The Free Press quoted some analyst a while ago who thought the site would make a good mixed use residential-commercial development, although who knows if/when that would ever happen.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by esquire

Haha... this mall was a regular stop for me when I was a little kid. This is not an official history by any stretch but a rough recollection:

Northgate was built in 1962. It would have definitely been among the first shopping centres of its kind in the city.

In the early 80s which is about as far back as my memory goes, Northgate was either a strip mall or a "half' mall with an enclosed walkway but only stores on one side... I can't remember which. K-Mart was at one end with a bowling alley at the other. Zellers was attached but I don't think there was an indoor connection... the Zellers was an addition to the original part, it was added on around 1980.

Then in the mid 80s there was a renovation and expansion... this was when Northgate was at its absolute apex. It became a fully enclosed, L-shaped mall from Zellers to the south tip where the bowling alley was replaced by a food court, a kid's play place (Playzone) and a Bargain Harold's (the Giant Tiger of its day). This was a full on shopping and entertainment destination for the blue collar folks of North Winnipeg.

Then the recession of the early 90s hit followed by the arrival of Wal-Mart. The party was over for Northgate. In the mid-90s things were shaken up when K-Mart closed. Zellers renovated expanded to swallow up much of that space. The south end of the mall became Cinema City. Since then it has just been a few small changes here and there. I haven't been in there much since Zellers closed, but it does appear that the mall hasn't been dealt a death blow by their departure. However, the quality of tenants has been steadily declining since the 80s... it's basically down to a bunch of small-time, mom and pop shops.

I'd love to know what they're going to do with this mall... McPhillips Street seems to have all the retail it needs at the moment. The Free Press quoted some analyst a while ago who thought the site would make a good mixed use residential-commercial development, although who knows if/when that would ever happen.

Thanks for that. Had no idea there was a food court and bowling alley in there. Now all the restaurants are scattered throughout the mall.

[J.OT13]

Possible death by Target in Ottawa:

The tiny Hazeldean Mall in Kanata. Target and the Independent Grocer take about 2/3 of the mall. With so many big box super-centres built in Kanata over the last 10-15 years, I don't see this one surviving much longer.



http://www.hazeldeanmall.com/home

Three other malls are losing their Targets: Billing's Bridge, Place d'Orleans and Bayshore. I don't think any of those will die, but they might limp for a while. That said, what might have a bigger impact on Bayshore, currently #2 in Ottawa, is the horribly badly designed and confusing new parking structures.

[matt602]

Superking looks about the same as the Nations Fresh Foods that just opened in downtown Hamilton, except much less modern looking. Definitely has the same overpowering asian theme to it.

[1overcosc]

Kingston only has two indoor malls. One, the Frontenac Mall, is dying. The other, the Cataraqui Centre, is doing very well, it's actually expanding, although it is losing its Target.

The Kingston Shopping Centre, originally the first mall, already died about a decade ago and is now a power centre and a transit terminal.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Tony

Molson, I should reprimand you for exposing me to that video.... could they possibly show more video of their congratulatory grand opening flower / plant gifts? You'd think they have them for sale as well.... and WTF is the ad 4 freaking minutes long?!

Legitimate question: which aisle has mothballs?

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That said, what might have a bigger impact on Bayshore, currently #2 in Ottawa, is the horribly badly designed and confusing new parking structures.

I visited Bayshore for the first time earlier this year and that was the first thing I noticed about it. Can't say I'm looking forward to going back.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Tony

It really reminds me of those North Korean propaganda videos showing abundance in department stores and supermarkets. An instant classic.

Werry special! You like; you Buy!! Good Fortune! 888!

[Tetsuo]

Semiahmoo Shopping Centre in White Rock, BC is a pretty much dead mall, ever since Zellers left.

Mostly filled with old people, people grabbing a bite to eat.
They do get bonus points for the Save-On which is frequently busy.

The nearby greenfield and brownfield development going on is hurting chances for the mall to get redevelopped

[haljackey]

With Target and now Future Shop closing things will get even worse for some malls that had one or both as tenants.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Werry special! You like; you Buy!! Good Fortune! 888!

The store looks nothing like that now, and the stench of rotting fish is in the walls now.

[MolsonExport]

c/o O-tacular

The Bower Mall entrance. in Beautiful downtown Red Deer.

Apparently it is far from dead, but that photo could have fooled me. It looks like there could be a pack of Zombies inside.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

c/o O-tacular

The Bower Mall entrance. in Beautiful downtown Red Deer.

Apparently it is far from dead, but that photo could have fooled me. It looks like there could be a pack of Zombies inside.

Funny enough it instantly reminded me of Dawn of the Dead as I drove by.

The worst part is the website I found it on seemed to be filled with promotional photos of the mall. How they figured this was flattering is beyond me.

[MolsonExport]

One of the world's deadest malls (Oxbury Mall, in beautiful east London, Ontario), is getting a makeover. If you want to instantly feel extremely depressed, go visit the Oxbury Mall before the makeover begins.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.00805...8i6656!6m1!1e1

The stores beckon you to enter:

joycebyrnerealto

Of course, most of them are no longer in the mall.

Dawn of the Dead:

SSP

Two out of three of these are gone.

SSP

[Marty_Mcfly]

I'm so glad this thread is alive again.

I need to find the pictures I took of the Marystown Mall and post them.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

One of the world's deadest malls (Oxbury Mall, in beautiful east London, Ontario), is getting a makeover. If you want to instantly feel extremely depressed, go visit the Oxbury Mall before the makeover begins.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.00805...8i6656!6m1!1e1

The stores beckon you to enter:

joycebyrnerealto

Of course, most of them are no longer in the mall.

Dawn of the Dead:

SSP

Two out of three of these are gone.

SSP

"L'HAIRport"! So wittily Canadian!

[esquire]

^ You know the mall is in trouble when Pizza Pizza has a sign where the anchor tenant is supposed to go.

[MolsonExport]

Even funnier is that even Pizza Pizza vacated the mall! Replaced by some even lousier knock off:

sellandbuy

Heck, if your heart stops from the bad pizza or the rancid wings, at least Medix "College" is next door.

Where is Pat Finelli when we need him?


cardboardcardboard

[esquire]

^ Yikes, when your mall is reduced to pizza pizza knock-offs, it's time to say the last rites and bring in the wrecking crews.

That joint reminds me of the urban US equivalent, the "other" KFC:



Source:flickr

[rapid_business]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Yikes, when your mall is reduced to pizza pizza knock-offs, it's time to say the last rites and bring in the wrecking crews.

That joint reminds me of the urban US equivalent, the "other" KFC:



Source:flickr

Holy crap, there are over 1,000 of them! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_Fried_Chicken

[MolsonExport]

there is something worse than Kentucky Freud? A Kentucky Fraud?