Oshawa Centre
Driven by both the ubiquity of car ownership and economic prosperity in the post war period, the shopping mall is one of the most iconic features of many areas. The Oshawa Centre is no exception, attracting day shoppers from all around Durham Region.
The industrial boom that Oshawa experienced during the Second World War made the city an ideal site for a mall. Ground was broken by Mayor Norman Down on July 22, 1955 and doors would open to a crowd of 10,000 on November 1, 1956.
In its original configuration the mall had a mere 28 stores including the Eaton’s anchor store, and was an open air mall. The Sears anchor store opened its doors in September 1968. The mall was enclosed in 1970, and in 1971, the office block that towers over the rest of the mall was added, as was the Famous Players theatre. The second level and southern portion of the mall were added in 1978. A major renovation in 1989 added 125 new stores and renovated the theatres. A 1993 renovation gave the food court a 1950s aesthetic as a call back to the Oshawa Centre’s origins. Between 2013 and 2017 the most recent renovation added an additional wing and greatly changed the mall’s aesthetics.
Today the Oshawa Centre has 1,219,962 square feet of space and 260 stores with Shopper’s Drug Mart, Indigo Books, and SportChek as anchor stores.
With information from:
“Turns First Sod New Oshawa Shopping Centre,” Daily Times-Gazette, 22 Jul 1955, p. 1
“Centre Opens Tomorrow,” Daily Times-Gazette, 31 Oct 1956, p. 1
Oshawa Shopping Centre Official Opening Press Kit, 1 November 1956; Oshawa Museum archival collection.
“Thousands Visit Simpsons-Sears,” The Oshawa Times, 18 September 1968, 16.
“New Climate Controlled Mall,” The Oshawa Times, 25 August 1970, 3A.
Advertisement, The Oshawa Times, 17 November 1970, 27.
Open Fields 15 Years Ago Now Regional Shopping Centre, The Oshawa Times, 26 October 1971, 26.
“Oshawa Centre History,” Informative Sheet, Oshawa Centre; Oshawa Museum archival collection.
John McClyment, “$30M Facelift,” The Oshawa Times, 28 January 1993.
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What I would like to know, what were the first 28 places in the original mall?
Hello! Great question! In the archival collection, we have a ‘Press kit’ from the official opening in November 1956. The directory in the kit lists far more than 28 stores and businesses, but media reports from the time say 28 were ready for opening day.
The tenants, as per the press kit in 1956, were: Eatons, Millicent Hair Stylists, Seigneur’s, SS Kresge, Reitman’s, Horwich Credit Jewellers, Bank of Montreal, Zellers, Fairweather’s, Henry Birks & Sons, CIBC, Main Television Sales & Service, Alex’s Barber Shop, Agnew-Surpass Shoes, Dover’s Ltd., Franklin-Simon, Bata Shoes, Bassett’s, The Cavalier Gift Shops, Maher Shoes, Young Ages, Fox’s Departmental Store, Maternity Fashions, Edna-Ann Hats, Bond Clothes Shop, United Cigar Stores, Laura Secord, Jack Fraser’s, Fabric Town, G. Tamblyn, Elna, Bailey Goods, Bo Peep Restaurant, Oshawa Bowling Lanes, Oliday Harware Store, Yolles Furniture Co, and Loblaws
Hope this helps!