Pacific Mall
Encyclopedia
Pacific Mall is an Asian shopping centre located in Markham, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located on the northeast side of Steeles Avenue
and Kennedy Road, right across the municipal border from the City of Toronto
, on the site formerly occupied by Cullen Country Barns. The two entrance roads of the mall are Redlea Avenue and Clayton Drive. Pacific Mall is surrounded by an existing shopping plaza, including the Market Village
, and together they encompass over 500 stores and are served by both indoor and outdoor parking areas with over 1,500 parking spaces combined. It has two floors and an underground level that leads to an underground parking lot. Designed by Wallman Clewes Bergman Architects, their first proposal was modified by the aesthetic expectations of the Town of Markham. Pacific Mall first opened its doors for business in 1997. The Chinese name, "太古廣場" (Tai Gu Guang Chang), is derived from Pacific Place
in Hong Kong
. The mall has a total of 270000 square feet (25,083.8 m²) of retail space.
It was developed by local developers Sam Cohen and Eli Swirsky.
Pacific Mall is one of the largest indoor Asian malls in North America
, second to Aberdeen Centre
in Richmond, BC . It is located in Markham, Ontario
, a town in York Region, where much of the population is of Chinese descent. Pacific Mall is a very popular location for Chinese and other Asian shoppers. On statutory holidays, such as Christmas
Day, the mall attracts a significant number of non-Asian and/or non-Greater Toronto Area
visitors.
Pacific Mall incorporates a traditional Pacific-style market. This Asian shopping centre has over 450 mini-shops selling a large variety of retail goods, as well as specialties such as herbs and ginseng
, Asian fashions, flowers, accessories, CDs, DVDs, audio hi-fi, cell phones, prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, furniture, toys and stationery, and entertainment. It is also a well-known place for computer and car enthusiasts alike. There are a variety of places to buy Asian food and drinks in the mall.
There is a clinic and dentist's office on the second floor, along with an area containing many restaurants and shops. The corridors on the main floor are named after streets in Hong Kong; this is where the majority of shops are located, and any major events take place. In the basement, there are bathrooms, a view of the underground parking lot, and other shops. There are elevators and escalators in the building.
As an official Canadian Tourist Attraction, the mall is exempt from the Retail Business Holiday Act and is open year-round including statutory holidays. Pacific Mall also hosts festivals and celebrations for the community.
video games, movies, music and other entertainment media. In May 2005, over $800,000 worth of pirated DVDs were seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP).
On July 13, 2006, the RCMP raided a number of stores in the Pacific Mall and other locations associated to the manufacture of counterfeit video game software, seizing a large quantity of games and shutting down a major illicit software manufacturing
facility.
In the week of August 8, 2008, thirty-three separate businesses were observed to be openly selling counterfeited merchandise in the mall, primarily counterfeit DVD movies.
On February 6–7, 2009, the RCMP raided a number of stores in the Pacific Mall and other locations within the mall being used for the manufacture of counterfeit movie DVDs, seizing over 49,000 DVD movies, 217 DVD burners and over 100,000 blank DVDs. Four subjects working within the mall were charged with multiple counts under the Copyright Act, also with Possession Of Property Obtained by Crime, and Fraud.
On March 16, 2009, the RCMP Federal Enforcement Section teamed with the York Regional Police Service and commenced uniformed foot patrols in the shopping malls located in south Markham - Pacific Mall among them, in an effort to combat the widespread sales of counterfeit items in the malls.
The crackdown by police has limited the number of English-language movies, but the same stores still offered pirated Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean/Japanese movies and television dramas.
Unlike most other malls which were planned with increased amounts of traffic projected in the future, Pacific Mall lacks the infrastructure to deal with its large amount of traffic. The road layout of the mall was designed only with Market Village in mind and was never intended to handle the volume of traffic it does today. Steeles Ave is a major arterial spanning across Toronto, Pacific Mall contributes to the already large volume of traffic in the area. The stretch of Steeles between Kennedy and Midland, containing a majority of other stores, is slow moving. A similar problem exists on Kennedy Road just north of Steeles, as the left-turn lanes frequently overflow and block through traffic.
Recently the municipality had lengthened left-turn lanes, added islands, and installed additional traffic lights. This has helped the problem.
announced plans for a major expansion to the south shopping complex in south Markham. An additional 400,000 square feet (37,000 square metres) of retail space, a luxury hotel and a multi-level parking structure are to be constructed. The project is expected to begin in a year or two, and would bring the combined size of the malls (which includes neighbouring Remington Centre to about one million square feet). However, that plan was delayed until late 2009 and is set to open in the early 2010s.
The expansion is necessary to compete with the new rival mall Splendid China Tower
on the opposite side of Steeles Avenue
East.
on September 2, 2010, approximately 18 months after the incident.
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, 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 is located on the northeast side of Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within...
and Kennedy Road, right across the municipal border from the City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, on the site formerly occupied by Cullen Country Barns. The two entrance roads of the mall are Redlea Avenue and Clayton Drive. Pacific Mall is surrounded by an existing shopping plaza, including the Market Village
Market Village
Market Village is a mall in Markham, Ontario and is one of the largest Chinese malls in Toronto and in North America. Located at the corner of Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road, it dominates approximately 325,000 square feet of retail space and consists of over 170 stores.Built by Cedarland...
, and together they encompass over 500 stores and are served by both indoor and outdoor parking areas with over 1,500 parking spaces combined. It has two floors and an underground level that leads to an underground parking lot. Designed by Wallman Clewes Bergman Architects, their first proposal was modified by the aesthetic expectations of the Town of Markham. Pacific Mall first opened its doors for business in 1997. The Chinese name, "太古廣場" (Tai Gu Guang Chang), is derived from Pacific Place
Pacific Place
Pacific Place is a complex of office towers, hotels and a shopping centre situated at 88 Queensway, in Admiralty, Hong Kong. The latest phase, Three Pacific Place, is located at 1 Queen's Road East....
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The mall has a total of 270000 square feet (25,083.8 m²) of retail space.
It was developed by local developers Sam Cohen and Eli Swirsky.
Pacific Mall is one of the largest indoor Asian malls in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, second to Aberdeen Centre
Aberdeen Centre
Aberdeen Centre is a shopping mall in Richmond, British Columbia. It is located in the Golden Village district on Hazelbridge Way, bordered by Cambie Road to the north. It primarily serves the Asian Canadian population in the Metro Vancouver area, but is striving towards an appeal to Western...
in Richmond, BC . It is located in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, a town in York Region, where much of the population is of Chinese descent. Pacific Mall is a very popular location for Chinese and other Asian shoppers. On statutory holidays, such as Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day, the mall attracts a significant number of non-Asian and/or non-Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
visitors.
Pacific Mall incorporates a traditional Pacific-style market. This Asian shopping centre has over 450 mini-shops selling a large variety of retail goods, as well as specialties such as herbs and ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
, Asian fashions, flowers, accessories, CDs, DVDs, audio hi-fi, cell phones, prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, furniture, toys and stationery, and entertainment. It is also a well-known place for computer and car enthusiasts alike. There are a variety of places to buy Asian food and drinks in the mall.
There is a clinic and dentist's office on the second floor, along with an area containing many restaurants and shops. The corridors on the main floor are named after streets in Hong Kong; this is where the majority of shops are located, and any major events take place. In the basement, there are bathrooms, a view of the underground parking lot, and other shops. There are elevators and escalators in the building.
As an official Canadian Tourist Attraction, the mall is exempt from the Retail Business Holiday Act and is open year-round including statutory holidays. Pacific Mall also hosts festivals and celebrations for the community.
Problems and concerns
Pirated merchandise
Pacific Mall and neighbouring Asian malls are known for their proliferation of piratedCounterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
video games, movies, music and other entertainment media. In May 2005, over $800,000 worth of pirated DVDs were seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP).
On July 13, 2006, the RCMP raided a number of stores in the Pacific Mall and other locations associated to the manufacture of counterfeit video game software, seizing a large quantity of games and shutting down a major illicit software manufacturing
Software manufacturing
Software manufacturing is the process of producing software in ways similar to the manufacturing of tangible goods. In this way of conducting business, each copy of the software is priced and sold as though it was a tangible product...
facility.
In the week of August 8, 2008, thirty-three separate businesses were observed to be openly selling counterfeited merchandise in the mall, primarily counterfeit DVD movies.
On February 6–7, 2009, the RCMP raided a number of stores in the Pacific Mall and other locations within the mall being used for the manufacture of counterfeit movie DVDs, seizing over 49,000 DVD movies, 217 DVD burners and over 100,000 blank DVDs. Four subjects working within the mall were charged with multiple counts under the Copyright Act, also with Possession Of Property Obtained by Crime, and Fraud.
On March 16, 2009, the RCMP Federal Enforcement Section teamed with the York Regional Police Service and commenced uniformed foot patrols in the shopping malls located in south Markham - Pacific Mall among them, in an effort to combat the widespread sales of counterfeit items in the malls.
The crackdown by police has limited the number of English-language movies, but the same stores still offered pirated Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean/Japanese movies and television dramas.
Traffic congestion
The mall is also a major contributor to traffic congestion in the area. It is not uncommon on a Saturday afternoon for all parking spots immediately surrounding the mall to be occupied, which can be frustrating for drivers who are inexperienced in navigating the Pacific Mall area. A few years after Market Village opened, it was already known to suffer from slow parking turnovers; local drivers seeking parking were known to trail shoppers exiting the plaza. Though Pacific Mall itself contains an underground garage facility, that was the only new parking added to the area, and it was not enough to offset the significant increase in demand to the area's already busy lots.Unlike most other malls which were planned with increased amounts of traffic projected in the future, Pacific Mall lacks the infrastructure to deal with its large amount of traffic. The road layout of the mall was designed only with Market Village in mind and was never intended to handle the volume of traffic it does today. Steeles Ave is a major arterial spanning across Toronto, Pacific Mall contributes to the already large volume of traffic in the area. The stretch of Steeles between Kennedy and Midland, containing a majority of other stores, is slow moving. A similar problem exists on Kennedy Road just north of Steeles, as the left-turn lanes frequently overflow and block through traffic.
Recently the municipality had lengthened left-turn lanes, added islands, and installed additional traffic lights. This has helped the problem.
Future expansion
On June 30, 2006, Pacific Mall and Market VillageMarket Village
Market Village is a mall in Markham, Ontario and is one of the largest Chinese malls in Toronto and in North America. Located at the corner of Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road, it dominates approximately 325,000 square feet of retail space and consists of over 170 stores.Built by Cedarland...
announced plans for a major expansion to the south shopping complex in south Markham. An additional 400,000 square feet (37,000 square metres) of retail space, a luxury hotel and a multi-level parking structure are to be constructed. The project is expected to begin in a year or two, and would bring the combined size of the malls (which includes neighbouring Remington Centre to about one million square feet). However, that plan was delayed until late 2009 and is set to open in the early 2010s.
The expansion is necessary to compete with the new rival mall Splendid China Tower
Splendid China Tower
Splendid China Mall is a Chinese-themed ethnic shopping centre located at the southeast corner of Redlea Avenue and Steeles Avenue in the former Toronto municipality of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Visar Realty Inc...
on the opposite side of Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within...
East.
February 2009 Shooting
On February 20, 2009, Kit Chen 'Daniel' Cheong, 26, was shot when gunfire broke out in the mall around 8:45pm ET. Cheong was in the XSITE cell phones store where he was shot in the head. He was rushed to Sunnybrook Hospital, but was pronounced dead on February 21, 2009. Critics and private investigators say it was due to an unfortunate cellphone deal in which he refused to let the perpetrator return his cell phone. Others have noted that it was due to mistaken identity. The primary suspect in the case, Bryan Valentine Gardner, was caught on security camera installed in Pacific Mall, and was eventually arrested in London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
on September 2, 2010, approximately 18 months after the incident.
See also
- Toronto's ChinatownsChinatown, TorontoChinatown is an ethnic enclave in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses extending along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. First developed in the late 19th century, it is now one of the largest Chinatowns in North America and...
- List of Canadian Chinatowns