Cornwall Ontario – As Sears Canada enters bankruptcy protection it means the loss of the anchor tenant for Cornwall Square.
Ironically the escalators are now working in the old mall in Downtown Cornwall.
Here is a list of Sears stores closing in Quebec and Ontario.
Ontario
- Ancaster (Home)
- Brockville (full line)
- Cambridge (outlet)
- Chatham (outlet)
- Cornwall (outlet)
- Kingston (Home)
- London (Home)
- Orangeville (Hometown)
- Orillia (Home)
- Ottawa East (Home)
- Sault Ste. Marie (full line)
- Scarborough (Home)
- Sudbury (Home)
- Timmins (outlet)
- Windsor (Home)
- Woodbridge (Home)
Quebec
- Alma (full line)
- Chicoutimi (full line)
- Drummondville (full line)
- Hull (full line)
- Laval (Home)
- Montreal Place Vertu (outlet)
- Quebec City (Home)
- Rimouski (Hometown)
- Rouyn-Noranda (Hometown)
- Sorel (outlet)
- St. Bruno (Home)
- St. Eustache (outlet)
- St. Foy (Home)
- St. Georges de Beauce (full line)
The mall, which already has many empty spaces, will now be facing a massive two floor hole. It recently saw a dollar store take over part of the space of its former grocery tenant.
Will you miss Sears dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Sad to see. But…they say their “brand reinvention” is working with consumers. Sorry NO. Sears is still stuck in the 1970’s
What the US did was to take millions or billions of dollars away from Sears Canada to prop up their stores and this led to what we see today Sears Canada bankruptcy. I should get down to Sears to see what is going on. One store after another is going under in the US including Macy’s in NYC. People have no money to spend and a big DEPRESSION is on the way. We haven’t seen anything yet.
Tomorrow I will go and check out the store with hubby and see what is good to purchase. We don’t go out that way very often and only when we need certain things. Since summer is on I will try and look for things for my daughter – my haunt is Wally World. Hubby will look for himself as well and I have been at him to get some things – he has lost a lot of weight and threw it on me. LOL LOL.
When my kids were babies and as young children I purchased their clothes from Sears and I handed everything over to a woman who was in need for her kids. Sears had good things in past years but now they went downhill. Stores are closing in the US and Target didn’t work in Canada – way too expensive.
No Jules. The two are very seperate entities. The only common factor is their name.
Sears at St. Laurent is NOT closing. The store that is closing is the Home Store on Innes Rd.
Now that Sears is finally gone,,,, maybe it’s time for an “out of town” developer to buy up Cornwall Square & turn it into waterfront condos ? It would keep development out of the Park & adjacent waterfront properties ? Or is the Clement deal , “a done deal” ? It sure would appear that the back-room boys are hard at it ! Where is the WFC ? Or, have they been told to back off ?
Perhaps Cornwall Square should do what Eastcourt mall did; become an outdoor mall. Enclosed malls are dinosaurs, a dying breed.
A U.S. report has come out saying about 25% of malls will close within 5 years. That does not bode well for any store in any mall. The ones that remain will continue to struggle.
It’s always sad to see a business close its doors. Sears has had problems for years of course. Unfortunately Sears lost out to retailer giant Walmart by not being competitive for the last many years and pricing themselves out of the game. Then they realized it too soon and did not improve selection. Sears has had its day and I think so as Cornwall Square!
Meant to say they (Sears) realized their problems too late…not too soon….So now maybe time to close the Square and re-zone the area….then build on the Smart Centers….Downtown Square could be good opportunity for Elder Apartments….small business….
I agree with Brian to a point about the Cornwall Square. The problem with building senior apartments is finding a builder willing to spend the money. It won’t be the city, as no funding is available from provincial or federal governments for this now. Would a private developer be willing? I’d like to think so, but highly doubt it that one would step forward.
Hey, “Choose Cornwall” editor. Here’s a headline for you…
!! READ ALL ABOUT IT !!
Cornwall’s Premier Downtown Shopping Mall Anchored By “Dollar Store”!!
It seems some are never happy.
Sears did not stay in step with the struggling Canadian middle class market. The Bay is only a step behind them. The customer service that made both these brands successful faultered as did the quality of merchandise. So you either shop for quality, service and atmosphere or you shop at Walmart and the Dollar Store.
or you shop online as many of us do – how many posts have you seen on social media of friends wanting to shop in a B&M store only to complain of poor customer service? There’s a value to that and the public has to be be onboard with paying for that.
I agree Admin. Shopping online is an alternative to the slap in the face lack of customer service being offered by too many businesses. Our acceptance of mediocre service has been the catalyst for the current retail situation. How many businesses say “Thank you for shopping…” Exactly. Many do not deserve our support.
they don’t call it minimum wage for nothing David
Further, these shortsighted businesses are not looking to the future which will herald higher interest rates. Bankruptcies will abound as these poorly run businesses deal with a public focused on managing unmanageable debt. The times they will be changing.
Admin if I understand correctly your reference to minimum wage earners my response is that the amount of money earned by an individual is not a measure of their manners, integrity or worth. Minimum wage will always represent entry level positions, not entry level human beings. However good management is always just that. In a word leadership.
David you’re 100% right, but good customer service comes with knowledge and experience. I guess I’m an old codger when I actually expect people to have manners, integrity, and worth, across the board.
Bingo! Admin we should all not only expect it we should demand it! The current state of affairs is a result of us not holding merchants responsible and accountable. The simple concept of a merchant “earning” your business is made redundant by an apathetic consumer who dismisses its importance. Ultimately everyone loses.
You want employees with experience and knowledge, with a solid work ethic and a pride in what they do, but you will only pay them minimum (starvation) wage? Good luck with that.
Here in Ottawa store clerks are treated like crap and mostly where my daughter works it is a hell hole and beyond description. Good manoers work both ways. My daughter wishes that the place would no longer exist that is how bad it is. I have witnessed some terrible customer behavior and people work for low wages including those with university – there is nothing out there.
What I was thinking about Cornwall Square was to get a developer who can turn that place into a seniors apts. without tearing it down. The place can be renovated and turned into many apartments for the elderly. This place is near the waterfront and no need to tear up a nice park. Condos for the rich will make your own homes unaffordable. You should get the tax bills that would be a real eye op
That was my point Furtz.
Where my daughter works it is a living hell and when people get hired they don’t last and many get fired. Try dealing with people who cannot read, write or speak English nor French and have a wagon full of groceries at $200. and have only $80.00 on them and give the cashier all kinds of abuse. I want to say much more but cannot. Many steal food and eat it there and throw the cores around the st
Did you all know that cashiers will be replaced with computers to check out your goods. My daughter cannot picture that happening with the type of clientele that she has OMG it has to be seen to be believed. Most are third world refugees and it is laughable what Trudeau brought over to Canada. OMG OMG OMG what did you folks vote for.
Jules…it won’t happen. Look at what has happened when they said cash would be no more, hasn’t / won’t happen. The number of cashiers will be reduced, but not completely eliminated.
When did money determine a persons work ethic? Their manners or knowledge? Entry level jobs pay minimum wage. Your work ethnic, experience and knowledge lead to better paying possibilities. Efforts first rewards later. Unless you subscribe to the liberal entitlement philosophy, money for nothing.
Lurid and unsubstantiated second-hand tales of “third world refugees” is neither news nor thoughtful opinion — it’s unlikely the contributor even knows the origin and meaning of the term “third world” nor what constitutes a “refugee”. (Hmmm… is that sound someone tapping out W-I-K-I-P-E-D-I-A?).
The story here is, Cornwall, business, an economy in decline, and maybe a head or two in the sand.
People get stuck in entry level, minimum wage jobs primarily because they lack education, motivation and direction. The whole point of a free enterprise system is that it allows everyone who aspires to improve their situation the opportunity to do so. Rewards follow efforts not the other way around. Therein lies the problem for those who think otherwise.
Simon I tend to agree with your last sentence assessment. Cornwall despite the odours of industry was more vital in the latter part of the eighties than current times. The proliferation of entry level jobs (centralized distribution warehouses) has led to population stagnation as motivated individuals flee to greener pastures.
Why not redevelope the Sears site into a condo tower complete with water views for seniors and mobility challenged individuals et al and be creative with the remaining retail space to support a life style dependant on convenience and necessity. Opportunity abounds at this site.
David Cornwall Square is a privately owned property. Who knows what they wish to do with it? Redevelopment is very costly and as we can see there aren’t a lot of larger projects done in Cornwall without public subsidy like the Cotton Mill projects which are a fiscal embarrassment. You have to hope that some politicians and managers got a kick back on those buildings. People can’t be that dumb organically…..
Perhaps Cornwall leadership wannabes should examine/study Halifax and creatively apply a plan to emulate its successes. However it would require vision and planning. Did I include leadership?
I would not want to see public money enter the equation. The 1950 era mall model is in its death throes. Investing privately in innovative ways of integrating business, work and living space is not only profitable it is exciting. Cornwall could definitely benefit from a little excitement which ultimately develops with innovation and vision.
Hugger my daughter has college and there are no jobs. She has applied to a great many and no luck. Things are very bad and the government is not telling the people the truth or they would literally panic. The former nurse across the hall said that many people with university are working at MacDonalds and such places. One woman who works with my daughter has her degree in business.
When I thought about Cornwall Square it would be great as a seniors building and it is centrally located and across from the park as well as the marina. Leave the park as is for everyone to enjoy. Those townhouses that they showed in the picture are laughable. You should see the ones at Mont Ste. Anne OMG beautiful. We rented one for a week back in the mid 80’s.
A few weeks ago I was walking inside of Billings Bridge with hubby and I told him that malls were coming down soon and then Hugger or someone mentioned that it won’t be long before they are finished. Where my daughter works it was a mall and taken down into individual stores.
Here in Ottawa so many condos are going up and what they are trying to do is get as many as possible near where people work and shop. Well that didn’t always work out that way and everyone is disbursed. I wouldn’t want to live in downtown at all – did that the first year in Ottawa and no more. The downtown is the most expensive even in a dump – we rented an apt. with a resident rat – 4 legs.
When we shop at Sears the most customers are seniors and not young people. Well hubby and I fit into the senior age and category and not many young people. We don’t go for torn jeans and all that crap and there are stores that cater to such people. I miss the 70’s era and mostly the 50’s and 60’s since I hate today’s society.
One of the latest mall trends is to mix residential (towers) with commercial development. Check out the latest plans for Westgate and/or Elmvale. Another trend is towards pads, instead of enclosed malls. Big box malls are a perfect example of this one. It’s going to be interesting to see what the REIT that owns the Square decides to do.
Sears first wanted to suspend health, dental and life insurance benefits, as well as special payments to the company’s “in the hole” benefit pension plan.
Now they’re refusing severance pay… Who’s the big-shot getting the bonus for that one?
Please “BOYCOTT SEARS” and their liquidation sale(s).
Laid-off workers aren’t being paid severance but…
According to court documents, Sears will pay up to $7.6 million in retention bonuses to 43 executives and senior managers at the company’s head office in Toronto.
Show some gumption and solidarity for Cornwall workers… !BOYCOTT SEARS!
Mr. Oldham what you said about Sears that can be turned into condos and high enough to have a view of the river is what I was trying to get across but you said it very well. A good developer can make Sears and the other stores into good living quarters especially for seniors who have problems getting around and plenty of stores around for them which would make things a lot easier.
Seriously… Please “BOYCOTT SEARS” and their liquidation sale(s).
Laid-off workers aren’t being paid severance, nor are their pensions being funded…
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/sears-canada-faces-online-calls-for-boycott-over-treatment-of-ex-employees-1.3515515
Show some gumption and solidarity for Cornwall workers… !BOYCOTT SEARS!
Getting a retail developer and a residential developer to agree on a development would be amazing. But there are too many obstacles in the way for the Sears land to be redeveloped as senior condos / apartments or even for that potential land to be redeveloped.
When I heard about Sears not supporting their employees I said no way I will shop there no matter what. My daughter is going through HELL ON EARTH where she works and I think of her as well in that position. The doctor asked my daughter this morning about her looking for work in her area and she was very down as well as myself – NOTHING OUT THERE. I am crying for all Sears and my daughter.
So I see the Sears property will be demolished and apartment units will be built there after the former store is torn down. Partners REIT intend to build high quality residential rental properties in the area currently occupied by Sears.