A birds-eye aerial view of THE CENTRE. The original dumbell plan mall was anchored by the aforementioned Simpsons-Sears (on the right) and Montreal's Henry Morgan & Company (on the left).
Photo from The Hamilton Spectator  

Mid-century shoppers stroll the 740-foot concourse at THE CENTRE. A nameplate of Birks Jewellers (a.k.a. Henry Birks & Sons) is seen on the left. Other mall stores at the time of this snapshot would include Flying Dutchman Delicatessen, Charles Coffee Shop, United Cigar Store and Muir's Bakery.
Photo from The Hamilton Spectator  

The complex was implemented in four stages. Simpsons-Sears opened in November 1954. A Dominion supermarket was dedicated in February 1955, followed by the inline store section, whose first stores welcomed shoppers in October of the same year. The fourth phase, completed in May 1957, added a Morgan's department store. THE CENTRE now covered approximately 598,200 leasable square feet and contained sixty stores. 

In an early '70s layout, we see how the open-air shopping hub has been rebuilt as the fully-enclosed CENTRE MALL. A twin cinema and Canadian Tire store have also been developed in the western periphery of the complex. 

An interior view showing the enclosed Sears Court at the east end of the newly-roofed shopping concourse. A Tip Top Tailors store is also visible on the left side of the image.
Photo from http://www.playle.com

By the mid-1980s, CENTRE MALL sports three anchor department stores; Sears, Robinson's (formerly Morgan's and The Bay) and Kmart. A new North Wing (in dark gray) also adds a Food Court to the retail mix. With these improvements, the mall proper encompasses over 700,000 leasable square feet and houses 120 stores.