Westgate Shopping Centre 2.85

Westgate Shopping Centre is a small scale shopping centre in West Ottawa bordering Carling Avenue, Merivale Road, and Highway 417, owned by RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust.The mall opened May 12, 1955 and is considered Ottawa's first shopping centre. The anchor of the mall was Freiman's department store, owned by Lawrence Freiman who already had a department store on Rideau Street. In advertising for its grand opening Westgate boasted that it had parking for over 1200 cars, weather-protected shopping and music for its customers.At its opening some of the stores that were in the mall were Freimans, Steinberg's, Tip Top Tailors, Reitmans, Kiddytown and a branch of Royal Bank of Canada. The Royal Bank is the last original tenant.A proposed reconstruction would have the mall demolished and replaced with a commercial and residential building.TenantsCurrent tenants include: OttawaGold.ca Canada Post Dollar Plus Pet Valu (pet supplies store) Rockin' Johnny's Diner (chain's first location; opened in 1991) Royal Bank of Canada TD Canada Trust Shoppers Drug Mart Robillard Hearing Centres