Carlingwood Mall
An enclosed shopping centre at the intersection of Carling and Woodroffe Avenues in Ottawa, Ontario.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Carlingwood Mall, also known as Carlingwood Shopping Centre, is an enclosed shopping mall in Ottawa's Carlingwood neighbourhood, at the intersection of Carling Avenue and Woodroffe Avenue. It is one of Ottawa's earliest major suburban shopping centres and remains a local retail and service destination. The centre is located roughly one kilometre north of Highway 417 and is served by multiple OC Transpo routes, giving it a substantial public-transit catchment in addition to its automobile-oriented design. The development began with the opening of a two-storey Simpsons-Sears department store in 1955. That store provided approximately 160,400 square feet of retail space and served as the initial anchor around which the shopping centre was built. The surrounding centre opened in 1956 as an L-shaped strip mall with more than 40 stores. Its large parking provision—approximately 24 acres—was promoted as a major convenience for shoppers at a time when Ottawa's suburban retail infrastructure was developing rapidly. Carlingwood was reportedly the largest shopping centre in Ottawa when it opened. The site has undergone several important physical and commercial changes. The mall was enclosed in 1971, converting the original open-air format into a climate-controlled shopping environment. A third floor was added to the Sears building near the end of that decade. In 1957, the Ottawa Public Library opened a Carlingwood branch inside the mall, an arrangement recognized as Canada's first mall library; the branch moved to a purpose-built nearby facility in 1966. The centre later accommodated a broad mixture of national chains, independent retailers, restaurants, banks, pharmacies and community-oriented services. Former tenants included Zellers and Marks & Spencer. Zellers operated one of Ottawa's oldest and smallest locations at Carlingwood before closing in 1999, while the Marks & Spencer store also departed that year. The mall's Sears anchor closed on January 8, 2018, following the retailer's bankruptcy. The former department-store space was demolished between March and June 2019 and redeveloped for a large Canadian Tire store. That store opened on September 22, 2022, and was described as the largest Canadian location in the chain at the time, restoring a major anchor presence while changing the mall's retail mix. A mid-2000s renovation focused on shopper comfort, adding upholstered benches, landscaped seating areas and refreshment spaces. Mall management associated these improvements with a strong 2005 Christmas shopping season, alongside the centre's tenant mix, value-oriented stores and accessibility. Today, the mall contains approximately 100 stores and services on a single principal enclosed level, with smaller underground areas containing some discount retail and fitness uses. Loblaws and Canadian Tire are the principal anchor tenants identified in the reference material, while other occupants include retailers, food outlets, banks and pharmacies. Since May 2024, the centre has been operated by Anthem Properties Group. Its continuing role is primarily local and neighbourhood-oriented rather than that of a destination regional supermall.
History
Carlingwood Mall developed during Ottawa's postwar suburban expansion. In 1955, Simpsons-Sears opened a substantial two-storey department store on the site. The store occupied approximately 160,400 square feet and established the principal retail presence before the rest of the centre was completed. The surrounding shopping centre opened in 1956 as an L-shaped strip mall containing more than 40 stores. At the time, it was Ottawa's largest shopping centre and was designed around automobile access, including roughly 24 acres of parking. The centre also became an early example of a shopping mall serving civic and community functions. In 1957, the Ottawa Public Library opened a Carlingwood branch inside the mall, making it the first mall library in Canada according to the reference material. The library moved to a nearby purpose-built facility in 1966. Carlingwood's retail format later evolved as enclosed shopping became more important in Canadian urban markets. The mall was enclosed in 1971, and a third storey was added to the Sears building near the end of the 1970s. Tenant turnover has reflected wider changes in Canadian retail. Carlingwood formerly housed a Zellers store described as one of Ottawa's oldest and smallest, but that location closed in 1999. A Marks & Spencer store also closed in 1999. The mall has nevertheless maintained a broad service-oriented tenant base, including grocery, pharmacy, banking, food-service, apparel and discount retail uses. In 2002, the centre became the focus of a labour dispute involving its cleaning operation. The Canadian Union of Public Employees objected after management locked out unionized cleaning staff and used a non-union team whose compensation and benefits were described unfavourably in contemporary criticism. The cleaning workers were not direct employees of the mall, but the union directed a boycott at the shopping centre because of its visibility and commercial leverage. The boycott ended with a victory for the union and was later discussed as an illustration of the challenges facing union organizing in Canada at the beginning of the twenty-first century. A renovation during the mid-2000s concentrated on comfort and dwell time. It introduced upholstered benches in the principal corridors, landscaped planters and seating in refreshment areas. The improvements were cited by then-general manager Denis Pelletier, together with the centre's bargain-oriented stores, Sears presence and easy access, as factors supporting the 2005 Christmas shopping season. The most significant recent structural change followed the collapse of Sears Canada. Carlingwood's Sears store closed on January 8, 2018. The vacant building was demolished from March through June 2019. Its replacement was a new Canadian Tire store, which opened on September 22, 2022, and was identified as the chain's largest Canadian location at the time. This redevelopment shifted the centre's anchor profile from department-store retail toward home improvement, automotive, hardware and general merchandise. Carlingwood Mall remains a single-level enclosed centre with approximately 100 stores and services, supplemented by small underground areas and a limited second-level office area. Loblaws and Canadian Tire are the principal anchors identified in the available material. The centre is positioned at Carling and Woodroffe Avenues, close to Highway 417, and is served by several OC Transpo routes. A 1996 survey reported that 21 percent of shoppers used public transit, notable for a centre originally planned around automobile access. Since May 2024, Anthem Properties Group has operated the mall.
- 2024
Anthem Properties Group takes over operations
[1]Anthem Properties Group begins operating the shopping centre in May.
- 2022
Canadian Tire anchor opens
[1]A new Canadian Tire store opens on September 22 and becomes the replacement anchor.
- 2019
Former Sears building is demolished
[1]Demolition takes place from March through June to enable redevelopment of the anchor space.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes following Sears Canada's bankruptcy.
- 2002
Cleaning staff dispute concludes
[1]A CUPE-led boycott connected to a dispute over cleaning staff ends in a victory for the union.
- 1999
Zellers and Marks & Spencer locations close
[1]Two notable former tenants, Zellers and Marks & Spencer, leave the centre.
- 1971
Mall becomes enclosed
[1]The original open-air shopping centre is converted into an enclosed mall.
- 1966
Library moves to a purpose-built facility
[1]The Ottawa Public Library branch leaves the mall for a nearby custom-built location.
- 1957
First mall library in Canada opens
[1]The Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library opens inside the shopping centre.
- 1956
Carlingwood Shopping Centre opens
[1]The surrounding L-shaped strip mall opens with more than 40 stores and becomes one of Ottawa's first major shopping centres.
Products and positioning
A long-established, accessible neighbourhood shopping centre serving west-central Ottawa with everyday retail, grocery, food, banking, pharmacy and service tenants. Its positioning emphasizes convenience, local accessibility and practical shopping rather than luxury or large-scale destination retail.
Retail property · 1956
Enclosed shopping centre
Carlingwood Mall provides an enclosed, single-level retail environment with approximately 100 stores and services. Its rectangular interior connects six entrances through main and branching corridors, with additional office and underground areas. The centre combines national chains, independent businesses and service providers for routine neighbourhood shopping.
Anchor retail tenant · 2022
Canadian Tire
The Canadian Tire store opened in September 2022 on the site of the former Sears anchor. It provides automotive, hardware, home, seasonal and general merchandise categories and was described as the chain's largest Canadian store when it opened.
Grocery anchor tenant
Loblaws
Loblaws serves as a major grocery anchor at Carlingwood Mall and provides everyday food and household shopping that complements the centre's smaller retail and service tenants.
Retail and services
Retail and service tenant mix
The mall's tenant mix includes apparel and discount retail, pharmacy, banking, restaurants, cafés, fitness and other personal or community services. Examples identified in the reference material include Ardene, Dollarama, Rexall, A&W, Subway, Tim Hortons, CIBC, RBC and Scotiabank.
Brand decisions
2024
Change in operating companyStrategyBackground
Carlingwood Mall continued as an established neighbourhood shopping centre after its anchor redevelopment.
Action taken
Anthem Properties Group began operating the mall in May 2024.
Aftermath
The available reference confirms the new operator but does not specify ownership or subsequent redevelopment plans.
2019
Redevelop the former Sears anchorStrategyBackground
Sears closed in January 2018 after Sears Canada's bankruptcy, leaving a large vacant anchor building.
Action taken
The former Sears building was demolished and the site was redeveloped for a new Canadian Tire store.
Aftermath
The Canadian Tire store opened on September 22, 2022 and replaced Sears as a major anchor presence.
1971
Enclose the shopping centreStrategyBackground
The original centre opened as an open-air strip mall, while enclosed shopping centres were becoming increasingly important in Canadian retail.
Action taken
Carlingwood was converted into an enclosed mall.
Aftermath
The centre continued operating as a climate-controlled enclosed shopping destination.
Recent events
- 2024
Anthem Properties Group begins operating Carlingwood Mall[1]
Leadership change
Anthem Properties Group has operated Carlingwood Mall since May 2024. The available reference does not identify the property's owner or describe a change in ownership.
- 2022
Canadian Tire opens a major new anchor store[1]
Product launch · Other
A new Canadian Tire store opened at Carlingwood Mall on September 22, 2022. It was described as the chain's largest Canadian store at that time and replaced the former Sears anchor role.
- 2019
Former Sears building demolished for redevelopment[1]
Other
The former Sears building was demolished between March and June 2019 as part of a redevelopment plan that ultimately produced a new Canadian Tire anchor.
- 2018
Sears anchor closes after bankruptcy[1]
Bankruptcy
The Carlingwood Sears store closed on January 8, 2018, following the bankruptcy and liquidation of Sears Canada. The closure ended the anchor's long presence at the shopping centre and created a major redevelopment opportunity.
- 2005
Carlingwood Mall renovation improves shopper amenities[1]
Other
A mid-2000s renovation added upholstered benches, landscaped seating and expanded refreshment-area amenities. Mall management later cited the work as one factor supporting the centre's successful 2005 Christmas shopping season.
- 2002
Cleaning staff dispute and mall boycott[1]
Other
The Canadian Union of Public Employees criticized Carlingwood Mall management during a dispute involving the locking out of unionized cleaning staff and the use of a non-union cleaning team. Although the cleaners were not direct employees of the shopping centre, the union targeted the mall to increase public and commercial pressure. The boycott ended in a victory for the union.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/carlingwood-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled