Westgate: Change and Development

The pursuit of prosperity motivated postwar developers, as seen with Westgate’s backers, who, like many others, aimed to capture the business of affluent, mobile suburban families.[1] Developers in the United States similarly targeted suburban sites as early as the late 1940s, drawn by favourable tax treatment and new shopping centre concepts advocated by European architects like Faludi and Gruen. Yet, Westgate’s significance is best understood by how it diverges from earlier precedents: rather than serving solely as an economic site, Westgate evolved into a communal space for social, cultural, and public gatherings, developments enabled by its early extension of expected services. 

In addition to retail offerings, Westgate Shopping Centre provided specialized services that enhanced its role as a community hub. Throop Pharmacy carried medical and veterinary items alongside regular pharmaceutical services.[2] Paul’s Service Store offered shoe repair, as well as laundry and dry cleaning, while the “Flamingo Room,” a rental space for private functions, could host up to 45 guests for social events.

Westgate also became a gathering place. Musicians shared new records, vocal groups entertained crowds, and in 1955, the Ottawa Rough Riders visited, all reinforcing its identity as a local communal hub.[3] Seasonal events also strengthened Westgate’s community role. The Easter Bunny made regular visits, as did Santa Claus, who arrived by helicopter, marking the first such visit to an Ottawa shopping centre. Westgate’s design also reflected Gruen’s broader influence. Like Gruen’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto and other postwar Ontario centres, Westgate incorporated features such as pedestrian walkways, large parking lots, and social gathering spaces, highlighting the architect’s effect on Canadian shopping environments.[4]

However, despite these similarities, Westgate did not follow all the practices advocated by the father of the modern shopping centre. As in many postwar suburban commercial spaces across North America, a divide emerged between Gruen’s vision and reality.[5] For example, Westgate lacked open green space and instead extended its parking into more overflow areas behind the centre. When Carlingwood Shopping Centre emerged as a competitor, Westgate lost its status as Ottawa’s western gateway. As West End suburbs expanded, more homes and commercial spaces emerged nearby, further reshaping the landscape. By the 1960s, Westgate’s early popularity faded.[6] To stay relevant and desirable in changing times, especially amid the competition from the new Carlingwood and St. Laurent Shopping Centres, Westgate underwent several major renovation projects. 

In 1960, Harold Shenkman sold the Westgate Shopping Centre to work on other development projects nearby.[7] Ownership of the site passed to Canscot Realty Investments Ltd., a subsidiary of Berkely Property Corp Ltd., until 1977.[8] In that year, the Toronto-based Group R eagerly acquired the centre, aiming to revitalize the 23-store property and boost profits. Westgate’s fortunes declined in 1972 when Freiman’s, its anchor tenant, was sold to The Bay: the Westgate store closed in 1974.[9] In response to these challenges, a 1978 Ottawa Citizen article quoted Bill Sheldon, Group R’s general manager, announcing major renovations: enclosing the centre, replacing Freiman’s with Consumers Distributing, and attracting a more diverse tenant base.[10]

This renovation aimed to offset losses from Freiman’s closure by giving Westgate a warmer, more inviting look.[11] Plans included adding plants, building specialty stores, and closing older shops, including Clark’s Dairy Bar, a popular spot since 1955. By summer 1978, renovations were complete: for $750,000, Westgate became a fully enclosed mall with moveable glass-panel walls.[12] Developers hoped the $750,000 renovation—including movable glass-panel walls—would boost sales by 30%.[13] These walls could open in summer for airflow or close in winter to conserve heat. The project aimed to further modernize Westgate and secure its future as a shopping destination. 

From the early 1980s to the early 2000s, Westgate Mall saw several renovations, expansions, and transformations to refresh Ottawa’s oldest shopping centre. The Westgate Theatre opened in 1980, offering viewers a three-screen cinema experience until its closure in 2000.[14] By 1990, Westgate underwent another phase of renovation, expanding by 15,000 square feet, adding a food court, and increasing the number of stores to 50. The Consumers Distributing store, which had been seen as an anchor tenant after Freiman’s closure, declared bankruptcy and closed in 1996.[15] After Your Independent Grocer replaced Steinberg’s in the late 1990s, Shoppers Drug Mart opened in its place in 2003-04, as the Westboro Superstore drew away most grocery customers. By the mid-2010s, only remnants of Westgate Mall’s financial dreams remained: Shoppers Drug Mart was now its largest store, Royal Bank its oldest occupant, and most tenants focused on small, healthcare-related businesses.[16]  

[1] James Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” The Historical Society of Ottawa, accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce. 

[2] Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce. 

[3] Charlie Senack, “Ottawa’s oldest mall closes today after 70 years,” Kitchissippi Times (Ottawa, ON), October 31, 2025, https://kitchissippi.com/goodbye-to-westgate-a-look-at-the-malls-historic-past/. 

[4] Marie-Josée Therrien, “Shopping Malls in Post-war Ontario,” Docomomo Journal 38 (2008): 41, https://doi.org/10.52200/docomomo.38. 

[5] Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce. 

[6] Senack, “Ottawa’s oldest mall closes today after 70 years,” https://kitchissippi.com/goodbye-to-westgate-a-look-at-the-malls-historic-past/. 

[7] Dave Allston, “Did you know that Ottawa’s first mall was built in Kitchissippi?” Kitchissippi Times (Ottawa, ON), May 20, 2015, https://kitchissippi.com/westgate-shopping-centre/. 

[8] Gordon Pitts, “City’s first shopping centre to shed ‘tacky’ image,” The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, ON), June 10, 1978, ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

[9] Senack, “Ottawa’s oldest mall closes today after 70 years,” https://kitchissippi.com/goodbye-to-westgate-a-look-at-the-malls-historic-past/. 

[10] Pitts, “City’s first shopping centre to shed ‘tacky’ image,” ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

[11] The Historical Society of Ottawa, “Sundaes, Milkshakes & Sodas, Oh My! Remembering the Westgate Milk Bar,” The Historical Society of Ottawa, June 20, 2025, https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/blogs/hso-blog/sundaes-milkshakes-sodas-oh-my-remembering-the-westgate-milk-bar. 

[12] Senack, “Ottawa’s oldest mall closes today after 70 years,” https://kitchissippi.com/goodbye-to-westgate-a-look-at-the-malls-historic-past/. 

[13] Pitts, “City’s first shopping centre to shed ‘tacky’ image,” ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

[14] Allston, “Did you know that Ottawa’s first mall was built in Kitchissippi?” https://kitchissippi.com/westgate-shopping-centre/. 

[15] Senack, “Ottawa’s oldest mall closes today after 70 years,” https://kitchissippi.com/goodbye-to-westgate-a-look-at-the-malls-historic-past/. 

[16] Powell, “Temples of Commerce,” https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications/ottawa-stories/important-public-and-private-buildings-in-the-city/temples-of-commerce.