Shoppers World Danforth
Encyclopedia
Shoppers World Danforth is a hybrid shopping plaza and shopping mall
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It has 40 stores serving parts of East York
, Scarborough
and The Beaches
, near the Victoria Park
subway station. Today a moderately sized suburban plaza, it has a notable place in history as one of the first suburban and one of the first enclosed malls in Canada. It is approximately 342500 square feet (31,819.3 m²) in area.
In 1921 the site was still a largely rural area on the fringe of the city of Toronto, but that year the Danforth streetcar was extended to a new loop at Luttrell Avenue, just west of Victoria Park. This led to rapid development of the area. Most notably a Ford Motor Company
assembly plant was built covering the large site at the southwest corner of Danforth and Victoria Park. The old factory building continues to exist as the main building of the mall.
The plant was the Canadian site of Ford production of the Model T and Model A. It remained Ford's primary Canadian facility until 1953 when Ford decided to construct the new Oakville Assembly
Plant. It then became the first Canadian plant of Nash Motors
making cars such as the Nash Rambler
and the Nash Canadian Statesman. In 1954 Nash merged with Hudson Motor Car Company
to create American Motors
and soon after the Danforth assembly plant was closed.
In 1962 it was redeveloped into a mall, built to serve the rapidly growing population of East York
and Scarborough
. It was developed by Elder Mines Developments, who would later build Shoppers World Brampton. It was an early Canadian example of what would soon become ubiquitous, the fully enclosed and air conditioned, suburban shopping mall. When it opened it advertised itself as "the world's largest all electrically heated and air conditioned mall" The anchor tenant was Eaton's
, marking only the second time Eaton's had opened a store outside of a downtown area. Another original tenant was a branch of Murray Koffler
's drug store. Previously the stores had all be called Koffler's Drugs, but the new store adopted the name of the mall and was titled Shoppers Drug Mart
. Finding the name a great success, Koffler soon applied it to the entire chain. The facility covered 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) and was the primary shopping mall for the entire eastern Greater Toronto Area
until supplanted a decade later by Scarborough Town Centre
, which opened in 1973.
Today, the mall still serves a community shopping function, and its stores currently include Zellers
, Metro, Black's Photography
, Blockbuster Video, Burger King
, Staples Business Depot, Dollarama
, Everything For A Dollar Store, PetValu, Dollar Drek, Moores
, M&M Meat Shops
, Payless ShoeSource
, and Shoppers Drug Mart
.
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 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...
, 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 has 40 stores serving parts of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
and The Beaches
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
, near the Victoria Park
Victoria Park (TTC)
Victoria Park is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 777 Victoria Park Avenue, one block north of Danforth Avenue. The station itself can be accessed by pedestrians via Victoria Park Avenue, or via Albion Avenue, or via a walkway that leads...
subway station. Today a moderately sized suburban plaza, it has a notable place in history as one of the first suburban and one of the first enclosed malls in Canada. It is approximately 342500 square feet (31,819.3 m²) in area.
In 1921 the site was still a largely rural area on the fringe of the city of Toronto, but that year the Danforth streetcar was extended to a new loop at Luttrell Avenue, just west of Victoria Park. This led to rapid development of the area. Most notably a Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
assembly plant was built covering the large site at the southwest corner of Danforth and Victoria Park. The old factory building continues to exist as the main building of the mall.
The plant was the Canadian site of Ford production of the Model T and Model A. It remained Ford's primary Canadian facility until 1953 when Ford decided to construct the new Oakville Assembly
Oakville Assembly
Oakville Assembly Complex is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory in Oakville, Ontario, Canada spanning . This landmark occupies the same site as, and combines, the former Ontario Truck plant and Oakville Assembly Plant and is clearly visible from the Queen Elizabeth Way and the Lakeshore West...
Plant. It then became the first Canadian plant of Nash Motors
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
making cars such as the Nash Rambler
Nash Rambler
The Nash Rambler was a North American automobile produced by the Nash Motors division of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation from 1950–55.The Nash Rambler established a new segment in the automobile market and is widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact...
and the Nash Canadian Statesman. In 1954 Nash merged with Hudson Motor Car Company
Hudson Motor Car Company
The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form American Motors. The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was dropped.- Company strategy...
to create American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
and soon after the Danforth assembly plant was closed.
In 1962 it was redeveloped into a mall, built to serve the rapidly growing population of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
and Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
. It was developed by Elder Mines Developments, who would later build Shoppers World Brampton. It was an early Canadian example of what would soon become ubiquitous, the fully enclosed and air conditioned, suburban shopping mall. When it opened it advertised itself as "the world's largest all electrically heated and air conditioned mall" The anchor tenant was Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
, marking only the second time Eaton's had opened a store outside of a downtown area. Another original tenant was a branch of Murray Koffler
Murray Koffler
Murray Bernard Koffler, is a Canadian pharmacist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for creating the Canadian pharmacy retailer, Shoppers Drug Mart....
's drug store. Previously the stores had all be called Koffler's Drugs, but the new store adopted the name of the mall and was titled Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
. Finding the name a great success, Koffler soon applied it to the entire chain. The facility covered 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) and was the primary shopping mall for the entire eastern 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...
until supplanted a decade later by Scarborough Town Centre
Scarborough Town Centre
The Scarborough Town Centre is an upscale shopping mall in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Central to the Scarborough City Centre, it is adjacent to the Scarborough Centre RT station and Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal. It was constructed by Oxford Properties and opened in...
, which opened in 1973.
Today, the mall still serves a community shopping function, and its stores currently include 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....
, Metro, Black's Photography
Black Photo Corporation
The Black Photo Corporation and its French-language counterpart Astral Photo, are a large Canada-wide retailer of photo-related products and photofinishing services. It is headquartered in Markham, Ontario and has 113 stores across Canada.-Ownership:...
, Blockbuster Video, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Staples Business Depot, Dollarama
Dollarama
Dollarama is a chain of over 690 dollar stores across Canada. The company is headquartered in Montreal and, since 2009, is Canada's largest retailer of items for 2 dollars or less. The first Dollarama store was created at the shopping centre "Les promenades du St-Laurent" in Matane...
, Everything For A Dollar Store, PetValu, Dollar Drek, Moores
Moores
Moores, Clothing for Men, is a Canadian brand specialized in tailor-made clothing for men similar to Tip Top Tailors or Classys. It is an affiliate to Men's Wearhouse, from the U.S....
, M&M Meat Shops
M&M Meat Shops
M&M Meat Shops is the largest specialty frozen food store chain in Canada. The company is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, and has locations in all ten provinces, the Yukon and Northwest Territories; the company formally had operations in the Midwestern United States under the MyMenu brand...
, Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
, and Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
.
Anchors
- Metro (53,008 sq. ft.)
- Premier Fitness (25,892 sq. ft.)
- Staples Business Depot (25,500 sq. ft.)
- ZellersZellersZellers 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....
(122,973 sq. ft.)