St. Laurent Centre
St. Laurent Centre is a major shopping mall and transit-connected commercial centre in Ottawa, Ontario.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
St. Laurent Centre, also known as St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Centre St-Laurent, is a large enclosed shopping mall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The property is situated on the north side of Highway 417 at the intersection of St. Laurent Boulevard and Coventry Road, giving it a prominent position within Ottawa's east-central retail and transportation network. It is owned and operated by Morguard REIT and serves the Ottawa metropolitan area rather than functioning as a national consumer-goods brand. The mall opened in October 1967 with approximately 50 retailers. Its original anchor lineup included Simpson-Sears, Freimans and Dominion. Simpson-Sears later became Sears and remained the last of the original anchors to operate at the centre; its store closed on January 8, 2018, following the bankruptcy and Canadian wind-down of Sears Canada. Freimans was acquired by Hudson's Bay in December 1971, and the store was rebranded as The Bay in June 1973. During a major expansion completed in 1991, The Bay moved into a larger two-level location adjacent to its former premises. The earlier anchor space was subsequently adapted for a food court, office accommodation and additional retail uses. The centre has approximately 880,736 square feet of leasable area and is described as the third-largest shopping mall in the National Capital Region by total space, behind Rideau Centre and Bayshore Shopping Centre. It has also been identified as one of Canada's largest malls by size. The property contains about 195 stores and services distributed across three levels. Its tenant mix extends beyond conventional retail: the centre has included restaurants, a food court, office tenants, a dental clinic, GoodLife Fitness, a second-run cinema and Willis College. Toys 'R' Us is among its major anchor or destination retailers. St. Laurent Centre's accessibility is strengthened by its direct connection to St-Laurent station. The station is served by OC Transpo's O-Train Line 1 and bus network, while intercity operators have also served the area. This connection makes the mall both a shopping destination and a transit-accessible commercial node for residents and visitors in Ottawa. Morguard has pursued planning approvals for a substantial expansion that would increase the overall property to approximately 121,000 square metres, or about 1.3 million square feet. If realized, the project would materially increase the mall's national size ranking. The expansion plan has been placed on hold indefinitely, so the proposed enlarged footprint should not be treated as an operating feature of the current centre. St. Laurent Centre remains an active, diversified retail and services property whose identity is based on its location, tenant mix, transportation access and long operating history.
History
St. Laurent Centre opened in October 1967 in Ottawa, Ontario, at the corner of St. Laurent Boulevard and Coventry Road, immediately north of Highway 417. The original centre housed about 50 retailers and was built around several prominent anchor tenants: Simpson-Sears, Freimans and Dominion. These anchors established the property as a significant east-Ottawa shopping destination during the era when enclosed suburban malls were becoming important retail formats in Canadian cities. The anchor mix changed over time. Simpson-Sears was subsequently operated as Sears and became the final surviving original anchor. Its departure came on January 8, 2018, when the store closed as part of the collapse and Canadian liquidation of the Sears chain. Freimans was purchased by Hudson's Bay in December 1971. The store was rebranded as The Bay in June 1973, connecting the centre to one of Canada's longest-established department-store banners. On March 13, 1991, The Bay relocated to a new two-level store created through a mall expansion. The new location was adjacent to the former site and was approximately 50 percent larger. The former department-store premises were repurposed for a food court, offices and other retail uses, illustrating the centre's continuing adaptation to changing anchor-retail economics. Over the decades, St. Laurent Centre developed from a traditional department-store mall into a mixed retail and services property. Its approximately 195 stores and services occupy three levels, while a meaningful portion of the wider leasable area is used by non-retail tenants. The property has accommodated office users, a dental clinic, GoodLife Fitness, a second-run cinema and Willis College in addition to fashion, food, general merchandise and specialty retailers. Toys 'R' Us has served as one of the centre's major destination retailers. This mixture gives the mall a broader daily-use function than a centre focused solely on discretionary shopping. The mall is owned and operated by Morguard REIT. Its location has been reinforced by public transportation infrastructure: St-Laurent station is connected directly to the centre and provides access to OC Transpo bus services and O-Train Line 1. Intercity bus operators have also served the station area. The combination of highway visibility, local transit and regional accessibility has supported the centre's role within Ottawa's commercial network. By total space, St. Laurent Centre is described as the third-largest mall in the National Capital Region, behind Rideau Centre and Bayshore Shopping Centre. It has approximately 880,736 square feet of leasable area and has been listed among Canada's largest shopping malls. Morguard has sought planning approvals for a major expansion that would increase the property to roughly 121,000 square metres, or 1.3 million square feet. The proposed project could substantially improve the mall's national size ranking, but the plan is currently on hold indefinitely and has not become part of the centre's operating footprint. The centre has also appeared in local public-safety news. On September 16, 2022, a fight involving multiple people in their late teens and early twenties took place outside the mall near Dollarama. Marcus Maloney, aged 19, was stabbed and later pronounced dead at hospital. Ottawa police later charged Mohammed Osman, aged 18, with second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and breaching release conditions. The incident is a reported event associated with the property and not a description of the mall's commercial positioning. Today, St. Laurent Centre remains an active Ottawa shopping and services complex. Its historic department-store anchors have largely given way to a more diversified tenant model, while its enduring advantages are its established location, broad service mix, transit connection and substantial scale.
- 2022
Fatal altercation near Dollarama
[1]A stabbing following an altercation outside the mall resulted in the death of Marcus Maloney and subsequent criminal charges.
- 2018
Sears anchor closes
[1]The Sears store closed on January 8 following the bankruptcy and Canadian wind-down of the chain, ending the presence of the mall's last original anchor.
- 1991
The Bay moves to an expanded two-level store
[1]On March 13, The Bay relocated to a new two-level location that was approximately 50 percent larger than the former store.
- 1973
Freimans store becomes The Bay
[1]The former Freimans store was rebranded as The Bay in June.
- 1971
Hudson's Bay acquires Freimans
[1]Hudson's Bay purchased Freimans in December, beginning the transition of the department-store anchor at the mall.
- 1967
St. Laurent Centre opens
[1]The shopping centre opened in October with approximately 50 retailers and original anchors including Simpson-Sears, Freimans and Dominion.
Products and positioning
A large, transit-connected regional shopping centre serving Ottawa with a broad combination of retail, dining, entertainment, professional services and community-oriented tenants.
Shopping mall retail · 1967
Retail stores
St. Laurent Centre hosts a broad selection of fashion, apparel, specialty, general-merchandise and consumer-oriented retailers across three levels. The centre's retail identity has historically been anchored by major department and destination stores, while its current model combines national chains, specialty shops and everyday services.
Food and beverage · 1991
Food court and dining
Food and beverage facilities form part of the mall's everyday-use offer. The food court occupies part of the former department-store space created after The Bay moved to its expanded location, alongside other dining and refreshment tenants.
Services and leisure
Non-retail services
The property includes or has included office space, a dental clinic, GoodLife Fitness, a second-run cinema and Willis College. These uses broaden the centre beyond shopping and generate regular visits for health, education, work and recreation.
Anchor or destination retail
Toys 'R' Us
Toys 'R' Us is identified as one of St. Laurent Centre's anchor or destination retailers, providing a large-format family and toy retail offer within the mall's broader tenant mix.
Controversies
2022
Fatal stabbing outside the mall
On September 16, 2022, a physical altercation near Dollarama outside St. Laurent Centre led to the stabbing death of 19-year-old Marcus Maloney. Police later charged 18-year-old Mohammed Osman with second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and breach of release conditions.
Brand decisions
2018
Sears store closureOtherBackground
Sears Canada's bankruptcy and chain-wide wind-down affected one of St. Laurent Centre's original anchor stores.
Action taken
The Sears location closed on January 8, 2018.
Aftermath
The closure ended the mall's relationship with its last surviving original anchor tenant.
1991
Expand and relocate The BayStrategyBackground
The centre sought to strengthen its department-store anchor and expand its retail capacity.
Action taken
The Bay moved on March 13 to a new two-level store adjacent to its former location and approximately 50 percent larger.
Aftermath
The former anchor space was converted into a food court, offices and additional retail uses.
- Proposed major mall expansionStrategy
Background
Morguard applied for land-use planning approvals to increase the centre's overall size to approximately 121,000 square metres.
Action taken
The proposed expansion would add substantial floor area, but the plan is currently on hold indefinitely.
Aftermath
The planned enlarged footprint has not been realized and the centre continues to operate at its existing scale.
Sources2 sources
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