South Keys Shopping Centre
South Keys Shopping Centre is a SmartCentres-operated power centre in Ottawa, Ontario, anchored by Walmart.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
South Keys Shopping Centre, officially identified by SmartCentres as SmartCentres Ottawa South, is a power-centre shopping complex in Ottawa's South Keys neighbourhood. The property is owned and operated by SmartCentres and serves as a retail and services destination for residents in the city's south end. It opened in 1996 and is anchored by Walmart. The centre occupies approximately 56 acres and contains about 486,127 square feet of store space. Its retail composition includes roughly 20 stores and services distributed across eight separate buildings. The tenant mix described in reference material spans major grocery and general-merchandise retail, restaurants, financial institutions, and entertainment, including a movie theatre. Because it is a power centre rather than an enclosed regional mall, the site is organized primarily around vehicle access, surface parking, and standalone or interconnected retail buildings. The property is bounded by Johnston Road to the north, Bank Street to the east, Dazé Street to the south, and Ottawa's Transitway corridor to the west. Its location benefits from substantial public-transit access: the O-Train and Transitway run along the western side of the property, with Greenboro station near the northern end and South Keys station near the southern end. Greenboro station also provides park-and-ride facilities. This combination of arterial-road exposure and transit connectivity makes the centre an important commercial node in the South Keys area. SmartCentres describes the surrounding five-kilometre trade area as containing approximately 50,638 households and 71,374 residents. The same property profile gives an average household income of CA$113,539 for that radius; this is a market-area statistic rather than revenue or valuation information for the centre. South Keys Shopping Centre has also appeared in Ottawa news coverage because of serious criminal incidents occurring at or near the property. In 2013, the body of Melissa Richmond was found in a ditch near the Kelsey's parking lot and Bank Street; her husband, Howard Richmond, was later convicted of first-degree murder. In 2018, Yonis Barkhadle was fatally shot in the shopping-centre parking lot. These incidents are part of the site's documented public history but do not define its retail operations. Since 2015, the City of Ottawa has considered the possible redevelopment of South Keys into a mixed-use area. The proposal context reflects broader changes in Ottawa land use and transit-oriented planning, although the supplied sources do not establish a completed redevelopment, final approval, construction date, or change in ownership. The centre remains an active SmartCentres retail property in the available reference material.
History
South Keys Shopping Centre opened in 1996 in Ottawa's South Keys neighbourhood. It was developed as a large suburban power centre rather than as an enclosed shopping mall, with separate retail buildings arranged around extensive surface parking and road access. The property occupies approximately 56 acres and has around 486,127 square feet of retail space. The centre's location was selected within a major southern Ottawa transportation and commercial corridor. Johnston Road borders the site on the north, Bank Street borders it on the east, Dazé Street forms the southern boundary, and the Transitway corridor lies to the west. The O-Train also runs along the western side. Greenboro station serves the northern portion of the property and South Keys station serves the southern portion, giving the centre an unusually direct connection to Ottawa's rapid-transit network for a suburban retail complex. Greenboro station additionally includes park-and-ride facilities. SmartCentres owns and operates the property and identifies it as SmartCentres Ottawa South in its commercial property materials. Walmart functions as the principal anchor. Eight buildings accommodate approximately 20 stores and services, with uses reported across general merchandise, grocery retail, restaurants, banking, and cinema entertainment. This format positions the centre as an everyday-needs destination for both nearby households and customers arriving from the wider south Ottawa area. The available property information describes a five-kilometre catchment containing about 50,638 households and 71,374 people, with an average household income of CA$113,539. These figures describe the surrounding market and are not financial results of the shopping centre. No reliable revenue, valuation, or tenant-sales figures are provided in the supplied sources. The property has also been associated with several serious criminal investigations. In July 2013, the body of Melissa Richmond was discovered in a ditch between the Kelsey's parking lot and Bank Street. Her husband, Howard Richmond, was convicted of first-degree murder in November 2015. In November 2018, Yonis Barkhadle was fatally shot in the parking lot at the north end of the centre. These incidents generated public attention, but the reference material does not indicate that they resulted in a change to the centre's ownership or operating model. From 2015 onward, the City of Ottawa considered redeveloping South Keys as a mixed-use district. The planning discussion reflects the site's strategic position beside rapid transit and established retail infrastructure. The supplied sources do not provide enough information to state whether a final plan was approved, whether construction began, or whether the retail centre was materially altered. On the available evidence, South Keys Shopping Centre remains an active SmartCentres-operated shopping destination.
- 2018
Fatal shooting at the centre
[1]Yonis Barkhadle is fatally shot in the northern parking lot of South Keys Shopping Centre.
- 2015
Ottawa considers mixed-use redevelopment
[1]The City of Ottawa begins considering the redevelopment of South Keys Shopping Centre as a mixed-use area.
- 2015
First-degree murder conviction in Richmond case
[1]Howard Richmond is convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Melissa Richmond.
- 2013
Homicide investigation near the property
[1]The body of Melissa Richmond is found in a ditch near the Kelsey's parking area and Bank Street.
- 1996
Shopping centre opens
[1]South Keys Shopping Centre opens in Ottawa's South Keys neighbourhood as a suburban power centre.
Products and positioning
A convenient, transit-connected suburban power centre combining a Walmart anchor with grocery, dining, banking, entertainment, and other everyday retail services.
General merchandise anchor
Walmart
Walmart is the principal anchor of South Keys Shopping Centre. Its broad general-merchandise format supports the centre's role as an everyday shopping destination, drawing customers for household goods, groceries, apparel, and other mass-market retail needs. The supplied references identify Walmart as the anchor but do not provide store opening dates or detailed performance data.
Food retail
Grocery and supermarket retail
The centre includes supermarket and grocery-oriented retail among its tenant uses. These stores complement the Walmart anchor and support frequent, practical shopping trips for households in the surrounding Ottawa trade area. Specific tenant names and individual opening dates are not established by the supplied reference material.
Food service
Restaurants and food services
Restaurants form part of the centre's service mix, providing dining and takeaway options for shoppers, nearby residents, and transit users. The references describe restaurants as a category but do not identify a complete tenant roster or distinguish current from former operators.
Financial services
Banking and financial services
Bank branches and related financial services are included among the centre's approximately 20 stores and services. Their presence reinforces the property's convenience-oriented positioning, although the supplied sources do not specify individual institutions or service formats.
Entertainment
Movie theatre
A movie theatre is identified as part of the South Keys tenant mix, extending the property beyond shopping and everyday services into entertainment. The available references do not provide the theatre's operator, screen count, opening date, or current operating details.
Brand decisions
2015
Consideration of mixed-use redevelopmentStrategyBackground
South Keys occupies a prominent site beside Ottawa's Transitway and O-Train infrastructure, making it a potential candidate for more intensive, transit-oriented land use.
Action taken
The City of Ottawa considered redeveloping the shopping-centre property into a mixed-use area.
Aftermath
The supplied references do not establish whether a final plan was approved or implemented, so the outcome remains unconfirmed.
Recent events
- 2018
Fatal shooting in South Keys parking lot[1]
Other
Yonis Barkhadle, aged 27, was fatally shot in the parking lot at the northern end of South Keys Shopping Centre.
- 2015
Howard Richmond convicted of first-degree murder[1]
Lawsuit
Howard Richmond was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Melissa Richmond, whose body had been discovered near the South Keys property in 2013.
- 2015
Ottawa considers mixed-use redevelopment of South Keys[1]
Other
The City of Ottawa began considering the transformation of South Keys Shopping Centre into a mixed-use area. The supplied references do not confirm a final redevelopment approval or completed project.
- 2013
Body of missing woman found near South Keys Shopping Centre[1]
Other
The body of Melissa Richmond was found in a ditch between the Kelsey's parking lot and Bank Street near the shopping centre. She had been missing for approximately two weeks, and the case was investigated as a homicide.
Sources2 sources
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