Showing posts with label Canada's First Malls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada's First Malls. Show all posts
IN THE BEGINNING
BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE, the first of North America's post-war retail centers, opened -in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue- in August 1946. 130 miles distant, in the northwestern environs of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada's first post-war-era shopping complex would soon be completed.
PARK ROYAL CENTRE, dedicated September 1, 1950, was anchored by Vancouver-based Woodward's. The 1.5 million dollar strip plaza eventually housed thirty-four tenant spaces, including an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. Its parking lot could accommodate 700 autos.
BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE, the first of North America's post-war retail centers, opened -in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue- in August 1946. 130 miles distant, in the northwestern environs of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada's first post-war-era shopping complex would soon be completed.
PARK ROYAL CENTRE, dedicated September 1, 1950, was anchored by Vancouver-based Woodward's. The 1.5 million dollar strip plaza eventually housed thirty-four tenant spaces, including an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. Its parking lot could accommodate 700 autos.
A grand opening announcement for Canada's second post-war shopping complex, which was built in Saint-Laurent, then a suburb city of Montreal. NORGATE CENTRE was officially dedicated December 6, 1950. The open-air strip structure housed eighteen stores and services, including an S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 and Dionne supermarket. Today, the complex is virtually unchanged from its original configuration.
Advert from Suburban Enterprises, Incorporated
OPEN-AIR AFFAIRS
The first two mall-type complexes in Canada were open-air in configuration and were dedicated in the mid-1950s. Ontario's GREATER HAMILTON CENTRE was one of the nation's earliest regional-size shopping facilities. DON MILLS CENTRE, in the newly-formed Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, started out as a smaller, district-sized venue. By 1960, it had been expanded into a larger regional format.
The first two mall-type complexes in Canada were open-air in configuration and were dedicated in the mid-1950s. Ontario's GREATER HAMILTON CENTRE was one of the nation's earliest regional-size shopping facilities. DON MILLS CENTRE, in the newly-formed Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, started out as a smaller, district-sized venue. By 1960, it had been expanded into a larger regional format.
A vintage view of GREATER HAMILTON CENTRE, Canada's first shopping mall. The complex opened in 1954 and 1955 and featured Simpsons-Sears, S.S. Kresge and a Dominion supermarket. Montreal's Henry Morgan & Company added a second anchor in 1957. The open-air facility was roofed-in in 1973 and renamed CENTRE MALL. It was redeveloped as CENTRE ON BARTON, an open-air power plaza, in the years between 2008 and 2015.
Photo from https://www.thespec.com / The Hamilton Spectator
Another vintage view; this of Metropolitan Toronto's DON MILLS CENTRE. It was dedicated in 1955 and included a Dominion supermarket and Koffler's Drug. The T. Eaton Company added one of their earliest suburban branches in 1962. The complex was enclosed in 1978. It was redeveloped as SHOPS AT DON MILLS, an open-air "lifestyle" complex, between 2006 and 2009.
Photo from Panda Architectural Photography Collection, Canadian Architectural Archives, University of Calgary / Image number 55943-14K
Dedicated, in late 1958, as the largest shopping venue in the western provinces, CALGARY CENTRE housed forty-five stores and services. Simpsons-Sears was the original anchor. A cinema was added in 1967, with the complex expanded and enclosed in 1973. In the 2020s, NORTH HILL CENTRE housed over 100 tenant spaces.
Photo from City of Calgary Archives
August 1959 brought the completion of the first shopping mall in Manitoba. POLO PARK CENTRE, an open-air structure, was located in the western environs of Winnipeg, then the nation's third-largest city. This complex featured Simpsons Sears, S.S. Kresge, Zellers and Loblaws and Dominion supermarkets.
Meanwhile, shopping centre development had continued, unabated, in the Alberta province. An open strip plaza, Edmonton's SHOPPERS' PARK-WESTMOUNT, had opened in August 1955. Its original stores included Simpsons Sears, Zellers, S.S. Kresge, F.W. Woolworth and Loblaws and Dominion supermarkets.
Meanwhile, shopping centre development had continued, unabated, in the Alberta province. An open strip plaza, Edmonton's SHOPPERS' PARK-WESTMOUNT, had opened in August 1955. Its original stores included Simpsons Sears, Zellers, S.S. Kresge, F.W. Woolworth and Loblaws and Dominion supermarkets.
Shopping malls began to appear in Greater Montreal in the late 1950s. Quebec's first, ROCKLAND CENTRE, made its debut in September 1959. Above we see a full-page spread announcing the grand opening of the thirty-nine-store, open-air facility. Anchored by Montreal-based Henry Morgan & Company, the centre included Macy's Drug, a Steinberg supermarket and F.W. Woolworth 5 & dime.
Advert from the Industrial Realty Corporation
Trizec was created as a holding company of Montreal-based Webb & Knapp (Canada) Limited, in July 1961. It was a Toronto-based amalgamation of three ("tri") concerns; "z" (William Zeckendorf of Webb & Knapp), "e" (Eagle Star Insurance of London, England), and "c" (Covent Garden Properties, also of London). By 1968, Trizec was Canada's largest shopping center operator, with holdings such as Burnaby, British Columbia's BRENTWOOD CENTRE (1961) and Toronto's YORKDALE CENTRE (1964).
Graphic from Trizec Corporation, Limited
Formed in 1958, the Fairview Corporation was a real estate division of Montreal-based CEMP Investments. Fairview was instrumental in the development of several of Canada's early shopping centres. A listing would include Winnipeg's POLO PARK (1959) and Edmonton's BONNIE DOON CENTRE (1958).
Graphic from the Fairview Corporation
In May 1974, Fairview merged with Toronto's Cadillac Development Corporation, forming the Cadillac Fairview Corporation. With the consolidation, the enterprise became Canada's largest shopping centre owner-operator (trumping Trizec). Major Cadillac Fairview projects were THE EATON CENTRE-TORONTO EATON CENTRE (1977) and Quebec's LES PROMENADE SAINT-BRUNO (1978).
In May 1974, Fairview merged with Toronto's Cadillac Development Corporation, forming the Cadillac Fairview Corporation. With the consolidation, the enterprise became Canada's largest shopping centre owner-operator (trumping Trizec). Major Cadillac Fairview projects were THE EATON CENTRE-TORONTO EATON CENTRE (1977) and Quebec's LES PROMENADE SAINT-BRUNO (1978).
Graphic from the Cadillac Fairview Corporation
AN INSIDE JOB
By the late '50s, planning was underway for what would become Canada's first fully-enclosed and climate-controlled commercial venue. John Graham, Junior, who had designed Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER (North America's first shopping mall) was called in to conceptualize a centre city shopping complex for London, Ontario.
Opened to the public on August 11, 1960, WELLINGTON SQUARE became not only the first interior mall in Canada but the first centre city shopping mall in North America. This "downtown mall" concept was copied by several North American cities during the 1960s and '70s.
By the late '50s, planning was underway for what would become Canada's first fully-enclosed and climate-controlled commercial venue. John Graham, Junior, who had designed Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER (North America's first shopping mall) was called in to conceptualize a centre city shopping complex for London, Ontario.
Opened to the public on August 11, 1960, WELLINGTON SQUARE became not only the first interior mall in Canada but the first centre city shopping mall in North America. This "downtown mall" concept was copied by several North American cities during the 1960s and '70s.
London, Ontario's revolutionary retail centre was anchored by the Toronto-based T. Eaton Company. WELLINGTON SQUARE originally housed forty-seven stores, including an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. The complex was expanded in 1988-1989 and renamed GALLERIA LONDON. This incarnation was not successful. It has since been repositioned as CITI PLAZA, a mixed-use collection of offices, public service facilities and retail.
Drawing from Canadian Architectural Archives, Libraries & Cultural Resources, University of Calgary / Image number 58979-1
Canada's first suburban-type enclosed mall was built 107 miles east of WELLINGTON SQUARE, in the environs of Metropolitan Toronto. THORNCLIFFE MARKET PLACE, which originally contained forty-two stores, was dedicated in the fall of 1960. It featured a Steinberg supermarket and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. A Sayvette discount mart was added in 1961. Today, the complex, known as EAST YORK TOWN CENTRE, houses over 100 stores and services.
Photo from Thorncliffe Park, Limited
Using a process of elimination (and a great deal of vintage newspaper searching), we have assembled a list of what -apparently- were the first ten regional-class enclosed shopping malls in Canada. This list will be corrected if any errors are revealed.
1. WELLINGTON SQUARE, London ON [August 1960]
2. THORNCLIFFE MARKET PLACE, Toronto, ON [November 1960]
3. FAIRVIEW MALL, St. Catherines, ON [April 1961]
4. THOMPSON PLAZA, Thompson, MB [November 1961]
5. PLACE LAURIER, Sainte-Foy (Quebec City), QU [November 1961]
6. SHOPPERS' WORLD (Danforth), Toronto, ON [May 1962]
7. HALIFAX CENTRE, Halifax, NS [September 1962]
8. SHOPPING PROMENADE-PLACE VILLE MARIE, Montreal, QU [September 1962]
9. PARK ROYAL SOUTH, West Vancouver, BC [October 1962]
10. MEADOWLARK PARK CENTRE, Edmonton, AB [September 1963]
THOMPSON PLAZA, the first enclosed shopping centre in the western provinces, opened for business on November 2, 1961. The Manitoban complex included an F. W. Woolworth 5 & 10, Shop-Easy Supermarket and Hudson's Bay Company department store.
Photos from F. W. Woolworth Company Annual Report 1961
As one could surmise, Canada's northern exposure contributed to the rapid embrace of the enclosed -and heated- shopping mall by its populace. Open-air centres, such Winnipeg's POLO PARK, were being converted into roofed retail hubs by the mid-1960s.
The first Trizec-constructed project was THE SHOPPING PROMENADE. It consisted
of two fully-enclosed shopping concourses beneath Montreal's 617-foot-high PLACE
VILLE MARIE ["Plahs-Veel-Muh-ree"] office tower.
Graphic from Webb & Knapp (Canada) Limited Annual Report 1962
Dedicated in September 1962, PLACE VILLE MARIE was the first segment of Montreal's present-day UNDERGROUND CITY. Consisting of 1,600 stores and services, and extending for a total of 20 miles, it is the largest subterranean retail complex in the world.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Montrealais"
Advert from http://halifax.retales.ca / Arthur Gaudreau
Canada's first super-sized shopping mall was built in the northern environs of Metropolitan Toronto, at the intersection of the MacDonald Cartier Freeway and proposed Spadina ["Spuh-diy-nuh"] Expressway. YORKDALE CENTRE originally encompassed around 1 million leasable square feet and housed ninety-three stores and services. It opened for business in February 1964.
Postcard from Royal Specialty Sales
Postcard from Royal Specialty Sales
The first fully-enclosed mall in -or around- Canada's capital opened its doors in October 1967. ST. LAURENT CENTRE, a 30 million dollar facility, was anchored by Simpsons-Sears and Ottawa-based Freimans. It encompassed 750,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-three stores and services under its roof.
Drawing from the Fairview Corporation
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