Intercity Shopping Centre
Encyclopedia
Intercity Shopping Centre is a shopping mall
in Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario
, with 456430 square feet (42,404 m²) of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters
, UK based entertainment franchise HMV
, and of course Canadian stores, such as Le Château. The mall was initially constructed in the 1950s on land that bordered the two former cities of Port Arthur
and Fort William
.
Simpson-Sears
was the first store to open on the site, and served as the largest store (Sears is still a staple store in the mall). Because the parking lot had not yet been paved, a large sign proclaimed "Please excuse our muddy face". It was built alongside a smaller strip mall
that featured several smaller local businesses and national chains such as Loblaws
, Woolworths and Consumers Distributors.
In the 1990s, the entire Intercity site was redesigned. Part of the expansion would take place on land formerly used as part of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition
. The strip mall was demolished and a more modern mall was constructed with Sears and a new Zellers
serving as anchor tenants.
The mall is jointly owned by Osmington Inc. and the CPP Investment Board
, a Crown Corporation created by Parliament
in 1997 to invest the money of the Canada Pension Plan
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
, with 456430 square feet (42,404 m²) of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
, UK based entertainment franchise HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
, and of course Canadian stores, such as Le Château. The mall was initially constructed in the 1950s on land that bordered the two former cities of Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
.
Simpson-Sears
Sears Canada
Sears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...
was the first store to open on the site, and served as the largest store (Sears is still a staple store in the mall). Because the parking lot had not yet been paved, a large sign proclaimed "Please excuse our muddy face". It was built alongside a smaller strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
that featured several smaller local businesses and national chains such as Loblaws
Loblaws
Loblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
, Woolworths and Consumers Distributors.
In the 1990s, the entire Intercity site was redesigned. Part of the expansion would take place on land formerly used as part of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition
Canadian Lakehead Exhibition
The Canadian Lakehead Exhibition or CLE is an annual regional fair in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Similar in nature to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, it features local and regional artisans and farmers, a midway, concessions and numerous other activities geared towards families and people...
. The strip mall was demolished and a more modern mall was constructed with Sears and a new Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
serving as anchor tenants.
The mall is jointly owned by Osmington Inc. and the CPP Investment Board
CPP Investment Board
Under the direction of the then Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin, the CPP Investment Board was created in 1997 as an organization independent of the government to monitor and invest the funds held by the Canada Pension Plan . In turn, the CPP Investment Board created the CPP Reserve Fund. The...
, a Crown Corporation created by Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
in 1997 to invest the money of the Canada Pension Plan
Canada Pension Plan
The Canada Pension Plan is a contributory, earnings-related social insurance program. It forms one of the two major components of Canada's public retirement income system, the other component being Old Age Security...
.