Cataraqui Centre
A major two-level shopping centre in Kingston, Ontario, serving as a regional retail destination and a major Kingston Transit transfer point.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cataraqui Centre is a shopping mall in the northwestern part of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, near the intersection of Princess Street and Gardiners Road. Formerly known as Cataraqui Town Centre, it opened in September 1982 as a two-level retail complex anchored by Simpsons, Zellers, and a Loblaws supermarket. The centre has since undergone several major changes in its tenant mix, physical layout, and transportation connections, and is now the largest shopping mall in southeastern Ontario by the retail area described in reference material. The centre contains more than 607,000 square feet of retail space and approximately 141 stores. Its tenant mix spans apparel, sporting goods, books, pharmacy, electronics, food service, personal care, and other everyday shopping categories. Major or anchor tenants identified in reference material include H&M, Sport Chek, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Indigo Books. The mall also includes a lower-level food court with national and regional quick-service and casual food operators, including A&W, Manchu Wok, Subway, Jimmy the Greek, Gino's Pizza, New York Fries, KFC, Amaya's, Real Fruit Bubble Tea, and Bento Sushi. Tim Hortons, Freshly Squeezed, and Purdy's Chocolatier are located close to, but outside, the main food-court area. Cataraqui Centre's site is distinctive because it is built on a slope. This arrangement allows both floors to have entrances at ground level: the lower level is accessible from the south, while the upper level is accessible from the north. Large surface parking areas and a ring road serve automobile access, while nearby Princess Street, Gardiners Road, and Midland Avenue connect the mall with other parts of Kingston and with Highway 401 through Gardiners Road. The centre is also an important piece of local public infrastructure. A Kingston Transit terminal beside the south entrance functions as a major transfer point for 14 bus routes, including local, express, and early-morning services. The terminal links the shopping centre with Kingston and the neighbouring Loyalist area, making Cataraqui Centre more than a conventional retail destination. The Isabel Turner library branch is located at the edge of the parking lot, adding a civic and community-service element to the surrounding site. Its history reflects broader changes in Canadian department-store retailing. Simpsons became The Bay in 1986. Sears moved from Kingston Centre to a newly added Cataraqui Centre location in September 1999, accompanied by an interior renovation and changes to the escalators and food court. Loblaws left the mall in 2001, and its former space was redeveloped for an expanded food court, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Sport Chek. Zellers was replaced by Target in 2013, but Target closed its Canadian stores, including this location, in 2015. The mall subsequently continued operating with a diversified mix of specialty retailers, services, food outlets, and large-format tenants. The transit terminal was modernized in 2016 and is identified in the reference material as receiving another modernization in 2026.
History
Cataraqui Centre opened in September 1982 as Cataraqui Town Centre, a two-level shopping mall in northwestern Kingston. Its original anchor lineup consisted of Simpsons, Zellers, and a Loblaws supermarket. The centre's sloping site allowed the lower and upper floors to connect directly to ground level from different sides of the property, a design that remains one of its notable physical characteristics. In 1986, the Simpsons store was converted to The Bay, reflecting the broader consolidation and rebranding of department-store operations under the Hudson's Bay Company. The next major expansion came in September 1999, when Sears relocated from Kingston Centre to a new store at Cataraqui Centre. The Sears project added space and was accompanied by an interior refurbishment, including the relocation of escalators and changes to the food-court arrangement. Loblaws left the mall in 2001 for a location farther along Midland Avenue. Rather than leaving the former supermarket area unused, the centre repurposed it for an enlarged food court, a Shoppers Drug Mart, and a Sport Chek. This change strengthened the mall's combination of food service, pharmacy, sporting goods, and specialty retail while reducing its dependence on a supermarket anchor. The department-store tenant mix changed again in the 2010s. Zellers was replaced by Target in 2013. Target's Canadian operation closed in 2015, including its Cataraqui Centre store. Despite the departure, the centre remained active as Kingston's principal enclosed shopping destination, with a broad mix of national chains, independent or local operators, restaurants, salons, and service businesses. The mall's role extends beyond retail. It is located near Princess Street, Gardiners Road, and Midland Avenue, with Gardiners Road providing convenient access toward Highway 401. The property has extensive surface parking and a ring road. Beside the south entrance is a Kingston Transit terminal serving 14 routes, including local, express, and early-morning services connecting Kingston and the Loyalist area. The terminal was modernized in 2016, and reference material identifies another modernization in 2026. The Isabel Turner library branch is situated at the edge of the parking area, giving the wider site an additional public and community function. Today, Cataraqui Centre is described as the largest mall in southeastern Ontario, with more than 607,000 square feet of retail space and approximately 141 stores. Its principal identified major tenants include H&M, Sport Chek, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Indigo Books. The centre's food court and nearby food outlets provide quick-service meals, snacks, beverages, and desserts. Its current identity is therefore that of a regional shopping and services hub rather than a single-category retail brand.
- 2026
Further transit-terminal modernization
[1]Reference material identifies another modernization of the mall's transit terminal in 2026.
- 2016
Transit terminal modernization
[1]The Kingston Transit terminal beside the south entrance underwent modernization.
- 2015
Target location closes
[1]Target's Canadian withdrawal resulted in the closure of its Cataraqui Centre store.
- 2013
Target replaces Zellers
[1]Target occupied the former Zellers location.
- 2001
Loblaws space converted to new retail uses
[1]The former Loblaws area was redeveloped for an expanded food court, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Sport Chek.
- 1999
Sears relocation and mall expansion
[1]Sears moved from Kingston Centre to a new Cataraqui Centre addition, which also received interior improvements.
- 1986
Simpsons becomes The Bay
[1]The Simpsons department store was rebranded as The Bay.
- 1982
Opening of Cataraqui Town Centre
[1]The two-level mall opened in Kingston with Simpsons, Zellers, and Loblaws as its principal anchors.
Products and positioning
A dominant regional shopping centre for Kingston and surrounding communities, combining broad everyday retail, major national tenants, food service, surface-access convenience, and direct public-transit connectivity.
Apparel
Fashion and apparel retail
The centre's fashion offer includes clothing and accessories, with H&M identified as a major multi-level tenant. The category serves everyday apparel shopping and complements the mall's broader mix of specialty retailers.
Sporting goods
Sporting goods retail
Sport Chek is identified as a major tenant in the lower level, offering sporting goods, footwear, athletic apparel, and related equipment. Its presence gives the centre a substantial recreation and active-lifestyle retail component.
Health and personal care
Pharmacy and health retail
Shoppers Drug Mart occupies a major lower-level space and provides pharmacy, health, beauty, personal-care, and convenience merchandise. It also contributes an everyday-needs function distinct from discretionary mall shopping.
Books and specialty retail
Books and gifts
Indigo Books is identified as an upper-level major tenant. Its assortment centres on books, stationery, gifts, and related lifestyle products, adding cultural and general-merchandise depth to the tenant mix.
Food service
Food-court and nearby food service
The lower-level food court includes quick-service and casual food operators such as A&W, Manchu Wok, Subway, Jimmy the Greek, Gino's Pizza, New York Fries, KFC, Amaya's, Real Fruit Bubble Tea, and Bento Sushi. Tim Hortons, Freshly Squeezed, and Purdy's Chocolatier are located nearby outside the principal food-court area.
Brand decisions
2013
Replace Zellers with TargetStrategyBackground
The long-standing Zellers space became available during a period of department-store change in Canadian retail.
Action taken
Target opened in the former Zellers location.
Aftermath
Target closed the store in 2015 as part of its withdrawal from Canada.
2001
Redevelop the former Loblaws spaceStrategyBackground
Loblaws moved from the mall to another location on Midland Avenue.
Action taken
The vacated supermarket area was converted into an expanded food court, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Sport Chek.
Aftermath
The centre broadened its food, pharmacy, and sporting-goods offer while adapting its anchor strategy.
1999
Expand the centre for SearsStrategyBackground
Sears was relocating from Kingston Centre and required a new store at Cataraqui Centre.
Action taken
The mall added a new Sears-anchored section and renovated parts of the interior, including the escalators and food-court layout.
Aftermath
The expansion strengthened Cataraqui Centre's position as Kingston's leading enclosed shopping destination.
Sources2 sources
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