Carlingwood mall turns 70, holds onto its character

Carlingwood Shopping Centre is celebrating 70 years of serving Ottawa's west end—and unlike many shopping malls across North America, it has resisted the urge to remake itself beyond recognition.

When it opened in 1956, Carlingwood was billed as the largest shopping centre in Eastern Canada. Simpsons (later Sears) anchored a two-storey, 160,400-square-foot retail store. Loblaws opened a 30,000-square-foot grocery store with 22 check-out counters, a visual meat wrapping room, and a snack bar. Around those anchor tenants, a L-shaped, 40-store shopping centre took shape. By Christmas 1957, Carlingwood was advertising 32 stores and more than 3,500 parking spaces.

Today, the mall still feels recognizably itself. Rows of indoor plants separate cushioned benches. Warm wood tones and earthy colours remain beneath the skylights. The hallways are still carpeted—Carlingwood is the last shopping mall in Ottawa where shoppers aren't walking entirely on tile.

On any given day, the mall remains a true neighborhood gathering place. Seniors catch up outside Second Cup and Tim Hortons. High school students crowd the food court during lunch breaks. Shoppers weave through Loblaws aisles. The unmistakable scent of fresh popcorn drifts from Kernels.

While Billings Bridge and Westgate shopping centres were already booming when Carlingwood was built, a 1956 newspaper feature promoted its restaurant as Ottawa's "most modern restaurant," with banquet rooms and social events that turned the mall into a gathering place long before food courts became common. In 1971, it underwent its next major transformation, adding to its anchor store.

At a time when many malls are being demolished or redeveloped, Carlingwood stands as a rare testament to continuity and community function.