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. 

The original open-air shopping hub was rebuilt as a fully-enclosed venue in the early '70s. It was renamed CENTRE MALL. A twin cinema and Canadian Tire store were developed in the western periphery. 

An interior view showing the newly-enclosed Sears Court. A Tip Top Tailors store is 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) adds a Food Court to the retail mix. With these improvements, the mall encompasses over 700,000 leasable square feet and houses 120 stores.