Bayshore Shopping Centre

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Bayshore Shopping Centre
Location Ottawa, Ontario (former city of Nepean)
Coordinates 45°20′50″N 75°48′25″W / 45.34722°N 75.80694°W / 45.34722; -75.80694Coordinates: 45°20′50″N 75°48′25″W / 45.34722°N 75.80694°W / 45.34722; -75.80694
Opening date 1973
Management Ivanhoe Cambridge
Owner Ivanhoe Cambridge[1]
No. of stores and services 155
No. of anchor tenants 6 (Zellers, Old Navy, Sports Experts, The Bay, HomeSense, Winners
Total retail floor area 728,047 sq ft/67,637.8 m2 (total surface)
Parking 4000 (including 53 handicapped and 27 family)[2]
No. of floors 3
Website http://bayshore.shopping.ca

Bayshore Shopping Centre is a major shopping mall located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, more specifically in the former independent city of Nepean, Ontario. The mall is one of the busiest in the National Capital Region as it attracts about 7 million visitors per year[3] from all of the city as well as from outside Ottawa. The mall is commonly called simply "Bayshore" by local residents. The current general manager of the mall is Denis Pelletier.

The mall security is assured by the North American Security Services (N.A.S.S) while it is maintained by Everyday Maintenance & Landscaping (outside) and Allen Maintenance Ltd (inside).

Contents

[edit] Building and stores

The interior of the 3-storey mall has a relatively simple layout, as opposed to the Rideau Centre and St. Laurent Shopping Centre, which makes it very easy to navigate. Prominent retail tenants include The Bay, Winners, Sports Experts, Pharma Plus, Laura, Zellers, Birks Jewelers, Mexx, Club Monaco, GAP, Banana Republic, American Eagle Outfitters, Old Navy Aritzia and Jean Machine among its 150 stores. Well-known restaurants such as Subway, KFC, New York Fries & A&W are located in its food court located on the upper level.

Les Ailes de la Mode (from August 2001 to June 2003) and Market Fresh (From Fall 2004 to December 31, 2005) were also important stores that were located in this mall in recent years. Previous tenants included Eaton's, Club Monaco, Polo Ralph Lauren, Toy World, Marks & Spencer, Steinberg's, Miracle Mart, A&A Records, Little Farm, Boots, Sam The Record Man, Wilson, and the Pik Nik and Steak & Burger restaurants.

[edit] Management team

Primary mall personnel as of September 2009 includes:

  • Operator/Owner: Ivanhoe-Cambridge
  • General Manager: Denis Pelletier
  • Operations/Building Manager: Bert Vanderwal
  • Accounts/Finance Administrator: Lynn Graham
  • Building Technician/Operations Assistant: Scott Hindshaw
  • Marketing/Sales Director: Pamela Bakalian
  • Marketing Assistant: Michelle Jacob
  • Operations Assistant: the talented and beautiful Janet Currie
  • Guest Services Supervisor: Courtney Latreille

[edit] Massive construction & renovation period

[edit] First phase

  • When the mall originally opened in 1973, it consisted of two floors, in earthy tones of browns with white. Its anchors consisted of Steinberg, Miracle Mart, The Bay and Eaton's. In the 1980s, the mall underwent an extensive facelift and renovation, chiefly the addition of a third storey, upgraded passenger lift, and a dramatic escalator going directly from the ground floor to the top level. The colour scheme was also updated to a stylish green and tan marble design. The original wrought-iron and wood railings were replaced by glass panels capped by a gold metallic balustrade. The new design featured large peaked glass panels as the ceiling, letting in lots of light to enhance the shopping experience. Another level was added to the exterior parkade as well. These changes helped Bayshore evolve from a medium-sized "community mall" to a regional shopping centre that attracts clientele from outside of the immediate area. The mall has continued to evolve in order to remain current in the dynamic retail climate that is Ottawa.

[edit] Second Phase

  • Following the 2003 closure of Les Ailes de la Mode, the resulting vacant space on the south side of the first and second levels was reconstructed into two new areas. In the first level, the former corridor was closed and a new corridor and mall entrance created to its east. Stores in the new area include GNC, EB Games, The Body Shop, Shoppers Blvd (which later closed), Scentiments, Carol Baker Visage, Freyja Collections and MotoPhoto. A small eating area was also added, including a few new snack shops such as Booster Juice, La Cremière and Cinnabon. Savory's Fine Foods store opened on June 15, 2006 (replacing the defunct Market Fresh store) and the new Pet World opened across from the grocery store on July 13. Savory's Fine Foods closed on August 19, 2007, marking the second exit by a specialty food retailer in the same location. Home Sense will occupy the location starting in Fall 2009.
  • On the second level, a new corridor includes stores such as Mexx, Cleo, Timothy's World Coffee, Place Bonbon, Winners and Swarovski. The two new sections of the mall are connected by an elevator and some escalators. Washrooms were added near the Gap replacing the older and smaller ones that were located near the main entrance of the level (by the Bayshore Dental Clinic).
  • A new passager elevator opposite to the existing one, that leads to the food court area of the third floor. It was also built to transport a greater number of customers from first to third or vice versa.
  • The new Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its doors on June 15, 2006 at the old Cotton Ginny location which itself moved further east on the level beside the recently moved Northern Reflection store. Just across from the location, the new Aritzia store. A new store, Esprit occupied the remaining space starting in October. Also in 2006, Northern Reflections moved to the location occupied by McIntosh & Watts. La Senza Express also opened during the fall replacing the former Campus Crew store.
  • During the summer of 2006, the mall underwent an extensive renovation to its parking deck - this to replace the structure that existed since its opening more than 30 years ago. Other renovations may be planned elsewhere across the mall in the future.
Bayshore Shopping Centre, as seen from the Richmond Road overpass over Highway 417.

[edit] Anchors

The centre's anchors are as follows:[4]

[edit] Events

  • In mid-November, Bayshore has its own Santa Claus Parade, which usually on Sundays, consists of a parade that starts in front of the Bay on the third level and ends at the Santa's Castle on the first level near Pharma Plus. This is usually the kick-off of the holiday shopping season in which the mall's hours are extended until 10 pm from Monday to Saturday except Sundays which keeps regular hours (although in previous years the mall also had extended hours on Sundays). During the last week of the Christmas rush, the mall is open until 11:00 pm. Other traditional features of the shopping centre at this period is the Gift Wrapping Service on the second level in which patrons can have their gifts wrapped.
  • During the year, Bayshore organizes promotions which includes prizes or contests for their customers. Last June, Bayshore gave away a free day of golf for 20 for Father's Day at the Marshes Golf Club in Kanata - near Brookstreet Hotel with a supper at the Moxies Bar & Grill restaurant at Bayshore. Other promotions includes free products for every 150$ spent, free school purchases or other promotions sponsored by Visa. Several other events organized by the mall or stores are occurring throughout the year.
  • Each summer, Bayshore organizes its annual sidewalk sale where stores are doing sales outside in the mall. It usually takes place on the second week of July but most stores had started their own sales well in advance and after the official event.

[edit] Major criminal incidents

  • 14 October 1983[5]: David Utman, a Nepean policeman, was shot to death at the mall by a fugitive convict. Peter Michael Collins was handed a life sentence in 1984 for first-degree murder, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Collins apparently said "Your time is up" before shooting the officer.[6]
  • 1 September 1984: Cst. Ralph Erfle and Cst. Robin Easey were shot after interrupting an attempted robbery involving a Brinks truck delivery to the mall's Toronto-Dominion Bank branch. Of the five criminals involved, four were captured and sentenced, the other was shot and killed at the scene.[7]
  • January 1999: Octavio Eva Gonzalez was murdered in a stabbing at the mall after he finished work there. Benny Jauvin was convicted of manslaughter and was given a net sentence of six years, a jail term some observers considered too lenient.[8][9]

[edit] Customer services

  • On the east end of the first level, special temporarily kiosks, called MRU's are located.
  • Since the summer of 2005, Bayshore introduced Gift Cards, which can be purchased at the Customer Service Kiosk Desk on the lower level, area available in several denominations and can be used either for stores and services throughout the mall. It has replaced the old gift certificates previously used, but it doesn't really have any significant difference.
  • Port Pizzazz is a children's playground area that is operated by the YMCA of Ottawa-Carleton and is located in the third level beside the Bay. It contains a sliding area with a pool of plastic balls, an Xbox machine, a computer, arts & crafts and many more. One can obtain a free hour at the playground for every $75 spent.

[edit] Transportation

  • The mall is located near the interchanges of provincial highways 417 and 416 in the Nepean sector of Ottawa, through the Richmond Road exits.
  • Bayshore Shopping Centre is served by the following routes at the Bayshore Transitway Station:
    2 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68 69pm 85 96 97 101 152 154 166 167 169 172 181 182 261 262 263 283am 404
  • A new Transitway corridor between Bayshore and Pinecrest was built in 2009 in order for Route 96 and 101 to have more direct service to the mall. It is part of the City of Ottawa's West Transitway plan that will provide a rapid transit corridor between Kanata and the Southwest Transitway.

[edit] Hours of operation

  • Mondays to Saturdays: 09:00-21:00
  • Sundays: 10:00-18:00
  • The mall is accessible at 07:00 for employees and mall walkers.

[edit] Holidays and Christmas period

[edit] References

[edit] External links