The Orillia Square mall is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and the celebrations are already bringing the community together in heartwarming ways.
As part of the festivities, mall management has launched Share the Love, a campaign inviting customers to submit personal love stories — not just romantic ones, but any heartfelt connection they have to the mall.
“We love the community, so we’re asking people to share their love stories,” said Katherine Keeling, director of property management for CT REIT, which owns the mall. “We’ve been receiving a great response, with all kinds of stories coming in, and we’ve been posting them on our social media.”
Those who submit their stories by Friday will be entered into a draw to win a $200 gift card. Entries can be sent to [email protected].
The official 50th anniversary of the mall falls on Nov. 6, and throughout the year, management is planning events that honour its history and its role in the community.
A timeline display highlighting key moments in the mall’s evolution is being put together, along with several nostalgic events.
For March break, the mall will host a reptile show for kids featuring Scales Nature Park. Later in the year, a drive-in movie night and other activities will be announced on the mall’s website and social media.
Reflecting on the mall’s journey, Keeling highlighted the major transformations over the decades.
“We were home to one of the first Target stores in Canada, and the original Canadian Tire was here before it was redeveloped into new stores,” she said. “The interior has undergone revitalization, and we’ve had some great tenants come in.”
Beyond retail, the mall has remained a vital community hub, she said. Keeling emphasized its strong ties with local organizations, noting the mall recently hosted a major charity event with Green Haven Shelter for Women.
“We’ve always had a consistent relationship with the community,” she said. “We want people to know that this is a space where events can happen, where we can support local groups and businesses.”
That commitment extends to the recent downtown fire that impacted businesses in the area. The mall reached out to those affected, offering temporary space to help them get back on their feet.
With online shopping reshaping the retail landscape over the years, malls across the country have had to adapt. Keeling acknowledged that while individual stores handle their own e-commerce strategies, the Orillia Square mall continues to create incentives for shoppers to visit in person.
“Through various contests and events, we’re keeping people engaged,” she said. “With strong anchor tenants like Shoppers Drug Mart, Mark’s, and Sport Chek, we’re seeing more people coming back.”
Joseph Men’s Clothier has been one of the mall’s longest tenants and is celebrating 40 years at the Burnside Line shopping centre. Owner Sebastian Chiaramida, who opened the store in 1985, has seen many changes in the local retail landscape over the years.
“You see stores come and go, and right now, there aren’t as many stores,” he said. “But over the years, sometimes it’s full and it’s busy, and then there were some slow periods, just depending on how the economy is going. When it’s good, the mall is full, and when it’s not as good, there are fewer stores.”
The mall itself has also changed, shrinking in size over time.
“It’s reduced in size, too, because of Canadian Tire taking up a good portion of it,” Chiaramida explained. “So, now, it’s a little more compact. Hopefully, with time, they start to fill it up again.”
Navigating shifts in the retail industry, especially with the rise of online shopping, has been a learning process for Chiaramida and his business.
“We do a little bit of online engagement, but I’m not the best with computers,” he admitted. “During the lockdown, people would contact us through our Facebook account.”
Despite industry challenges, Joseph Men’s Clothier has remained a staple in the community. Chiaramida attributes its success to customer service and word-of-mouth recommendations.
“It’s just good service,” he said. “We rely on repeat customers. When the mall is full, people moving into the area visit different stores, and that first impression matters. We try to give the best service possible, and that brings customers back.”
He remains hopeful for the future of the mall, but he acknowledges filling vacant spaces remains a challenge.
“They’re going to fill it up. They have to,” he said. “It’s always better when the mall is full — even if, at first, they make a little less on rent. Once it’s busy, they can charge more for rent, but the No. 1 thing is getting people in.”
Chiaramida remembers a time when the mall had 50 to 60 stores; now, it holds 25 to 30 when fully occupied.
“They’ve got to work at getting some of these companies to come in,” he said. “It’s clean, it’s not run down, and it has a big drawing area — from Huntsville down to Midland and Oro. There’s potential. They just have to convince businesses to come.”
As the Orillia Square mall steps into its next chapter, Keeling says management is focused on growth and revitalization. She says the mall has welcomed several new tenants since the holiday season and management is also exploring new leasing opportunities to bring in more stores and services.