Les Promenades de Sorel
Les Promenades de Sorel is an indoor shopping mall in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, serving as the city’s remaining enclosed retail centre.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Les Promenades de Sorel is an enclosed shopping mall in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Covering approximately 360,000 square feet, or about 33,000 square metres, the centre contains roughly 51 tenants and serves the Sorel-Tracy area and surrounding communities. Its principal anchors are Walmart, Maxi and Bureau en Gros, giving the property a mix of general merchandise, grocery and office-supply retail. The mall opened on August 9, 1989, with Sears, Bonimart, Héritage and Hart as its original major stores. Its tenant mix subsequently changed as Canadian retail chains were renamed, closed or replaced. Bonimart became Zellers in 1991, while Héritage was converted into Maxi in 1995. Hart later shut down during the 2000s; the adjacent Maxi then expanded into part of the former department-store space, substantially increasing its footprint. Zellers closed in 2012 and was replaced by Walmart later that year. Sears was eventually slated to close in 2017, reflecting the broader contraction of the Sears Canada store network. For many years, Les Promenades de Sorel was associated with Westcliff, a Canadian shopping-centre owner and operator. The property is now managed by Cogir, a real-estate company headquartered in Brossard, Quebec. The change in management places the mall within Cogir’s broader portfolio of commercial and real-estate assets, although the available reference material does not identify the property’s current legal owner. Les Promenades de Sorel occupies an important position in the local retail landscape. Following the conversion of Place Sorel into a strip-mall format and the demolition of Plaza Tracy during the 2000s, it became the sole remaining indoor shopping mall in Sorel-Tracy. Its role is therefore broader than that of an individual retailer: it functions as a consolidated destination for everyday shopping, grocery purchases, general merchandise, services and regional commercial activity. The mall’s current identity is shaped by its anchor tenants, its enclosed format and its continued presence in a market where competing traditional malls have disappeared or been redeveloped.
History
Les Promenades de Sorel opened on August 9, 1989, in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The approximately 360,000-square-foot centre was established as an enclosed regional shopping mall with four principal opening anchors: Sears, Bonimart, Héritage and Hart. Its initial format reflected the department-store-led model common to Canadian malls of the period, combining large anchors with smaller specialty and service tenants. The property’s anchor composition changed as its retailers evolved. Bonimart was rebranded as Zellers in 1991, bringing the location under the Zellers banner. Héritage became Maxi in 1995, shifting the space toward the grocery-led format that remains part of the mall’s current identity. Hart closed during the 2000s, and the neighbouring Maxi expanded into the former Hart area, approximately doubling its size. These changes consolidated the mall around more durable everyday-shopping categories rather than maintaining its original department-store mix. During the 2000s, the broader Sorel-Tracy retail environment also changed. Place Sorel was converted into a strip-mall format, while Plaza Tracy was demolished. As a result, Les Promenades de Sorel became the city’s only remaining indoor shopping mall. This gave the property a distinct local role as the area’s principal enclosed destination for shopping and services. Zellers closed at the property in 2012 and was replaced by Walmart later that year. The replacement preserved a large general-merchandise anchor while updating the tenant mix to reflect the changing Canadian discount-retail sector. In 2017, Sears announced that its Les Promenades de Sorel store would close. The planned closure, announced on June 22, was to occur within 19 weeks and represented another reduction in the mall’s traditional department-store presence. Les Promenades de Sorel was long connected with Westcliff, a Canadian shopping-centre company. The mall is now managed by Cogir, a real-estate company based in Brossard, Quebec. Available reference material does not establish the current ownership structure or identify individual property executives. The centre continues to operate with approximately 51 tenants and major anchors including Walmart, Maxi and Bureau en Gros. Its contemporary role is that of a practical, community-serving retail property whose significance comes from both its tenant base and its status as Sorel-Tracy’s sole enclosed mall.
- 2017
Sears closure announced
[1]The closure of the Sears store was announced on June 22, with the shutdown expected within 19 weeks.
- 2012
Walmart replaces Zellers
[1]Zellers closed and Walmart replaced it at the mall later in the year.
- 2000
Hart closes and Maxi expands
[1]Hart closed during the 2000s, after which the adjacent Maxi expanded into the former space and approximately doubled its size.
- 1995
Héritage becomes Maxi
[1]The Héritage location was converted to the Maxi grocery banner.
- 1991
Bonimart becomes Zellers
[1]The Bonimart anchor was rebranded as Zellers.
- 1989
Mall opens
[1]Les Promenades de Sorel opened on August 9 with Sears, Bonimart, Héritage and Hart as its principal anchor stores.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping centre focused on practical everyday retail, anchored by mass-market, grocery and office-supply tenants. Its local positioning is reinforced by its status as Sorel-Tracy’s only remaining indoor mall.
General merchandise anchor · 2012
Walmart
Walmart replaced Zellers at Les Promenades de Sorel in 2012. As a large-format general-merchandise anchor, it provides everyday consumer goods and supports the mall’s practical, mass-market positioning.
Grocery anchor · 1995
Maxi
Maxi occupies the space formerly associated with Héritage and later expanded after Hart closed during the 2000s. Its enlarged footprint makes grocery shopping a central part of the mall’s tenant mix.
Office-supply anchor
Bureau en Gros
Bureau en Gros is one of the mall’s current anchor tenants, adding office supplies, business products and related consumer goods to the centre’s general retail offer.
Brand decisions
2017
Sears store closureOtherBackground
Sears announced the closure of its Les Promenades de Sorel store on June 22 amid a wider contraction of the Sears Canada network.
Action taken
The store was scheduled to close within the following 19 weeks.
Aftermath
The announcement marked the planned loss of another original department-store anchor from the mall.
2012
Walmart replaces ZellersM&ABackground
Zellers closed at the mall as the Canadian discount-retail landscape changed.
Action taken
Walmart took over the former Zellers anchor location.
Aftermath
The property retained a major mass-market general-merchandise anchor under a new banner.
2000
Maxi expansion following Hart closureGeneration changeBackground
Hart closed during the 2000s, leaving adjacent space available within the mall.
Action taken
Maxi expanded into the former Hart area and approximately doubled its store size.
Aftermath
The expansion strengthened grocery retail as one of the mall’s major everyday-use anchors.
1995
Conversion of Héritage to MaxiStrategyBackground
The Héritage anchor was replaced by the Maxi grocery banner.
Action taken
The retail space was converted to Maxi, changing the anchor’s category from department-store retail to grocery.
Aftermath
Maxi later expanded into the former Hart space after Hart closed.
1991
Conversion of Bonimart to ZellersStrategyBackground
The original Bonimart anchor was rebranded as the Zellers chain.
Action taken
The mall changed the anchor’s operating banner from Bonimart to Zellers.
Aftermath
Zellers remained in the location until its closure in 2012.
Sources2 sources
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