St. Vital Centre

St. Vital Centre is a regional shopping mall at 1225 St. Mary's Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is positioned near the intersection of St. Mary's Road and Abinojii Mikanah and functions as a major retail and leisure destination for southeastern Winnipeg and surrounding communities. The centre's tenant mix combines department-store, apparel, sporting-goods, discount, grocery, pharmacy, home, restaurant, banking, and entertainment uses. The mall opened on 17 October 1979 on a site of approximately 40 acres. Its original anchor lineup included Eaton's, The Bay, and Woolco, reflecting the department-store-led format common to large Canadian shopping centres of the period. Over time, the property was expanded and its retail offer was reconfigured as the Canadian department-store market changed. The centre is described as having six anchor tenants and approximately 160 smaller stores, with a gross leasable area of about 926,310 square feet when freestanding and associated commercial uses are included. The property also has approximately 4,661 parking spaces and a nearby Winnipeg Transit bus depot or hub. St. Vital Centre's retail environment extends beyond the enclosed mall. Its broader commercial area includes a freestanding Co-op grocery store and other standalone or externally accessed tenants such as Montana's Cookhouse, Old Navy, CIBC, McDonald's, and Earls. Listed anchor or major tenants include Indigo, London Drugs, Mark's, Marshalls & HomeSense, SilverCity, Sport Chek, and Walmart Supercentre. This combination gives the centre both routine shopping functions and destination-oriented uses such as cinema, dining, and general merchandise. The property underwent renovations in 1986, 1998, and 2013. A reported $10-million modernization program completed in November 2012 introduced new flooring, ceilings, wall finishes, and energy-efficient lighting. These upgrades were intended to refresh the interior environment and maintain the centre's competitiveness within Winnipeg's retail market. The mall also reports recycling activity involving plastics and aluminum in the food court, paper in office operations, and substantial cardboard recovery. Ownership and management have changed over the property's history. The Ontario Pension Board owned the centre before its reported sale to Leyad in 2026 for $160.5 million. Management was previously handled by 20 VIC Management Inc. through 2017 and by Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services ULC through December 2020. BentallGreenOak (Canada) LP subsequently managed the property. St. Vital Centre remains an active physical-retail destination whose role is defined by its regional scale, diverse tenant base, transit connectivity, parking capacity, and integration with Winnipeg's broader commercial network.

St. Vital Centre was developed as a major shopping destination in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and opened on 17 October 1979. The centre occupies a site of approximately 40 acres at 1225 St. Mary's Road, near the junction with Abinojii Mikanah. Its original format relied on large department-store anchors, with Eaton's, The Bay, and Woolco serving as prominent opening tenants. This arrangement placed the property within the established Canadian suburban-mall tradition, in which large anchors drew customers who then circulated through smaller specialty stores. The property was renovated in 1986, 1998, and 2013. A particularly significant modernization initiative, reported at a cost of $10 million, was completed in November 2012. The work refreshed the common areas with new flooring, ceilings, wall coverings, and more energy-efficient lighting. The successive renovations indicate an effort to preserve the centre's relevance as Winnipeg's retail environment evolved and as department-store and specialty-retail patterns changed. By the period described in reference material, St. Vital Centre had six anchor tenants and about 160 smaller stores. Its reported gross leasable area was approximately 926,310 square feet, including freestanding and associated commercial premises. The wider property and surrounding retail cluster included a Co-op grocery store, Montana's Cookhouse, Old Navy, CIBC, McDonald's, and Earls. The enclosed centre's major listed tenants included Indigo, London Drugs, Mark's, Marshalls & HomeSense, SilverCity, Sport Chek, and Walmart Supercentre. The mix spans apparel, books, pharmacy, sporting goods, discount retail, general merchandise, entertainment, food, and financial services. Access has been an important part of the centre's regional role. The property provides approximately 4,661 parking spaces and is located close to a Winnipeg Transit bus depot or designated transit hub serving multiple routes. Reference material also describes a substantial surrounding customer base, including approximately 53,825 households within five kilometres as of 2001, as well as weekly pedestrian activity estimated at roughly 178,000 at that time. These historical figures illustrate the scale of the centre's local catchment, although they should not be treated as current operating statistics. Environmental and operational programs have included recycling plastics and aluminum in the food court, paper in offices, and approximately 4,315 metric tons of cardboard annually. Management arrangements changed over time: 20 VIC Management Inc. managed the property through 2017, Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services ULC managed it through December 2020, and BentallGreenOak (Canada) LP subsequently managed the centre. The Ontario Pension Board was the reported owner before a reported 2026 sale to Leyad for $160.5 million. St. Vital Centre therefore represents both a long-running Winnipeg retail institution and an income-producing commercial property whose ownership and management have shifted while its regional shopping-centre identity has continued.

• 2026

  Reported sale to Leyad

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that Leyad acquired the centre from the Ontario Pension Board for $160.5 million.

• 2020

  End of reported Cushman & Wakefield management period

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services ULC was reported to have managed the property through December 2020.

• 2017

  End of reported 20 VIC Management period

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  20 VIC Management Inc. was reported to have managed the property through 2017.

• 2013

  Further renovation

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre underwent another reported renovation following the major modernization completed the previous year.

• 2012

  Completion of $10-million modernization

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A modernization program completed in November updated interior finishes and lighting, including energy-efficient fixtures.

• 1998

  Second reported major renovation

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The property received another renovation as its retail and common-area environment continued to evolve.

• 1986

  First reported major renovation

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The shopping centre underwent a renovation as part of its continuing physical modernization.

• 1979

  Opening of St. Vital Centre

  [1]St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre opened on 17 October at its St. Mary's Road location, with Eaton's, The Bay, and Woolco among the original anchor tenants.

A large regional shopping centre serving Winnipeg's southeast, combining everyday retail, destination shopping, dining, entertainment, services, and transit access.

• Retail property · 1979

  Enclosed regional shopping centre

  The core offering is a large enclosed shopping environment with approximately 160 smaller stores alongside major anchors. It provides climate-controlled common areas, circulation space, customer services, and access to a broad range of retail categories. Its regional scale allows it to serve both routine local shopping and destination visits.

• Retail · 1979

  Anchor and major-format retail

  St. Vital Centre's major-format offer includes listed tenants such as Walmart Supercentre, Sport Chek, Indigo, London Drugs, Mark's, and Marshalls & HomeSense. Together, these stores cover general merchandise, groceries, books, pharmacy, sporting goods, apparel, footwear, and off-price home and fashion retail.

• Entertainment

  SilverCity

  SilverCity provides the centre's cinema and entertainment component, supporting evening and leisure visits in addition to conventional shopping trips. Its presence broadens the property from a purely retail destination into a mixed shopping and entertainment venue.

• Food and services

  Restaurant and service cluster

  The wider St. Vital Centre commercial area includes restaurants and services such as Montana's Cookhouse, Earls, McDonald's, CIBC, and a freestanding Co-op grocery store. These uses support repeat visits, everyday needs, dining occasions, and non-retail errands.

• 2026

  Reported sale from Ontario Pension Board to LeyadM&A

  Background

  The property changed ownership after a period in which the Ontario Pension Board was reported as owner.

  Action taken

  Reference material reports a sale of St. Vital Centre to Leyad.

  Aftermath

  Leyad became the reported owner, while the centre continued operating as an active Winnipeg regional shopping destination.

  Reported transaction value. $160.5 million (2026)

  Source

• 2012

  Interior modernization and energy-efficiency upgradeStrategy

  Background

  The established shopping centre required common-area renewal and updates to maintain its physical appeal and operating efficiency.

  Action taken

  The property carried out a reported $10-million renovation, replacing or updating flooring, ceilings, wall coverings, and lighting, including energy-efficient fixtures.

  Aftermath

  The program was completed in November 2012 and was followed by a further reported renovation in 2013.

  Reported renovation cost. $10 million (2012)

  Source

1. 1St. Vital Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2St. Vital Centre official websiteshopping.leyad.ca