West Edmonton Mall

West Edmonton Mall (WEM), located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the largest shopping mall in North America, followed by American Dream Meadowlands in New Jersey. It is the most visited mall in Canada, followed by Metrotown Mall in Burnaby,[6] and the 23rd largest in the world (along with The Dubai Mall) by gross leasable area.[7] It was the world's largest mall until 2004.[3] The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959.[8] Its anchors are Hudson's Bay, London Drugs, La Maison Simons, The Brick, and Winners/HomeSense.

West Edmonton Mall
The Sea Life Caverns wing, 2015
LocationEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates53°31′22″N 113°37′23″W
Opening date15 September 1981 (1981-09-15)
DeveloperTriple Five Group
ManagementDanielle Woo[1] alongside The Ghermezian family
OwnerWest Edmonton Mall Properties Inc.
No. of stores and servicesmore than 800
No. of anchor tenants15[2]
Total retail floor area350,000 m2 (3,800,000 sq ft)[3]
No. of floors3
Parking20,000+,[4] 10,000 overflow[5]
Public transit accessWest Edmonton Mall Transit Centre (see below)
Websitewww.wem.ca

West Edmonton Mall covers a gross area of about 490,000 m2 (5,300,000 sq ft).[3] There are over 800 stores and services including nine attractions, two hotels and over 100 dining venues in the complex,[9][10] and parking for more than 20,000 vehicles.[11] More than 24,000 people are employed at the property. The mall receives about 32 million visitors per year; it attracts between 90,000 and 200,000 shoppers daily, depending on the day and season. The mall was valued at $926 million in January 2007,[12] and in 2016, for tax purposes, it was valued at $1.3034 billion, making it the most valuable property in Edmonton.[13]

History

West Edmonton Mall first opened its doors to the public on 15 September 1981. The mall was developed in four phases, completed in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1999.[14] It was the largest indoor shopping centre in the world until 2004,[3] and was named such in the Guinness Book of Records. The four phases of construction are used in a colour-coded system as a guideline for finding stores and attractions. The Mindbender indoor roller coaster had a fatal accident on 14 June 1986 when one of the rear cars derailed from the track and slammed into a nearby concrete pillar. Three people died and one was injured in the accident.[15]

The former fire-breathing dragon animatronic at Scotiabank Theatre.

On 11 July 2004, the mall suffered millions of dollars in damage when a severe storm of hail and rain caused roofs to fail and drains to overflow. The Ice Palace and surrounding sections were the most damaged, and the World Waterpark had a sewage overflow. The damage was promptly repaired.[16]

Former tenants
  • Sears Canada (closed 8 January 2018, was replaced by a now-closed West 49 outlet on the Main level and Stitches Factory Outlet on the Upper level. Replaced by The Brick on Upper Level, Lower level to be replaced by Mayfield Toyota in 2021)
  • Target Canada (closed 2015, now Winners/Homesense on the 1st floor and International Clothiers & Buy Buy Baby on the 2nd floor)
  • Zellers (closed 2012, replaced with Target Canada in 2013 which closed in 2015.)
  • Red's (closed June 2006, now Ed's Bowling)
  • Woodward's (closed 1993, now Hudson's Bay)
  • 2nd Bay Store (closed 1998, now Multi Movie Screen and Sunrise Records)
  • HMV (Closed 2017, now Sunrise Records)
  • Eatons (Closed 1999, replaced with Zellers in 2000)
  • Forever 21 (Closed 2019, now West 49)
The Phase III food court at WEM. The top image is what the P3FC looked like prior to 2013. The bottom image is what the P3FC looks like today.

World records

Past and current West Edmonton Mall world records include;

  • World's largest mall (1985-2004)[17][18] - West Edmonton Mall itself
  • World's largest indoor amusement park - Galaxyland
  • World's largest indoor roller coaster - the Mindbender
  • World's largest indoor lake[19] - Deep Sea Adventure Lake
  • Largest indoor waterpark in the Americas[20] - World Waterpark
  • World's largest parking lot with more than 20,000 spaces, and over 10,000 overflow spaces.[4][5] - WEM's parking lot

Other records
In 2007, Peter Charney broke the world record for the most number of bungee jumps in 24 hours.
  • Most bungee jumps in 24 hours record while indoors was set by Peter Charney, on 6–7 November 2007 at the World Waterpark, completing 225 jumps.[21]

Major attractions

Galaxyland
Mindbender rollercoaster at Galaxyland

Galaxyland was originally known as "Fantasyland;" however, during a court battle with the Walt Disney Company, West Edmonton Mall changed the park's name to Galaxyland in July 1995 after completing some minor renovations. It is an indoor amusement park located on the north side of the mall. It is the second-largest indoor amusement park in the world, behind Ferrari World, and features 24 rides and attractions. There are 8 beginner rides, 9 intermediate rides, 7 thrill rides, the triple loop Mindbender roller coaster, (which derailed in 1986 causing 3 deaths) .The Mindbender is the world's largest indoor triple loop roller coaster. The latest attraction in Galaxyland, which opened in 2018, named HAVOC. The Drop of Doom was shut down in the early 2000s. The tower area was replaced shortly after by a more modern launch ride, the Space Shot, a S&S Double Shot Tower Ride.[22]

World Waterpark
Main wavepool.

The World Waterpark is the world's second largest indoor waterpark, built in 1985, with a size of 20,903 square metres (5.165 acres). The park has the world's largest indoor wave pool. The highest slides in the park are the Twister and Cyclone, which are each 25.3 metres (83 ft) high.

The wavepool has six wave bays, each with two panels with a total of 1,500 horsepower (1.1 MW) generating waves up to two metres high.

Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace
Ice Palace

Ice Palace is a scaled down version of a National Hockey League (NHL) regulation-sized ice rink located in the centre of the mall. The Edmonton Oilers occasionally practised at the Ice Palace during the 1980s. The Oilers' contract for using the rink has since expired. The rink is used for various hockey and other sporting tournaments. In 2015, the Ice Palace was renamed Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace after the mall sold the naming rights to a local auto dealership.[23]

During special events, such as Remembrance Day, the ice rink is covered with fabric for a ceremony to be held on it.[24] In 2017, West Edmonton Mall announced that the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace will get a $3 million renovation. Due to this, it was closed for the summer and reopened in December 2017.[25]

Professor WEM's Adventure Golf
Professor WEM's Adventure Golf viewed from top floor

Professor WEM's Adventure Golf is an 18-hole miniature golf course. The miniature golf course was originally known as Pebble Beach Mini Golf, and was designed to be a mini golf version of Pebble Beach Golf Links. The course was refurbished and given the Professor WEM theme in the mid-1990s.

Other attractions
The "Open Sea" Bronze Whale by Robin Bell in its original location before it moved to outside of the now-defunct Sears Canada. This sculpture is a statue of a North Atlantic right whale.
The brass man in the Phase III food court before he moved to the Phase I food court
"Running In" oil workers statue by Robin Bell
  • Fantasyland Hotel,[26] located within the mall; WEM is also affiliated with a second hotel, the West Edmonton Mall Inn, located across the street from the shopping centre on 90th Avenue.
  • An indoor shooting range[27] (named "Wild West Shooting Centre")
  • Large-scale replica of the Santa María, one of the ships sailed by Christopher Columbus in 1492 to San Salvador Island. The deck can be booked for private functions.
  • 24-hour Gym, Crunch Fitness
  • Dinner Theatre: Jubilations Dinner Theatre offers original Canadian three-act musical comedies along with a four-course dinner. Full bar service is available and the theatre's productions run Wednesday to Sunday. This space was formerly a Famous Players theatre.
  • Previously, the mall has had a history of nightclubs and recreation spaces including the Empire Ballroom, Edmonton Events Centre (now demolished), Ed's Rec Room, The Joint and Ka'os Nightclub. The former Edmonton Events Centre space has been purchased by Gateway Casinos & Entertainment for their expansion of the Palace Casino, which was renamed to Starlight Casino.
  • Envy Nightclub (formerly SET Nightclub),[28] a dance club featuring top 40 and electro music. The space was formerly Whisky Jack's, a country-themed nightclub.
  • West 49 skate shop, built in the 1st floor of the former Sears temporarily. Stitches Factory Outlet takes the 2nd floor. (Phase I)
  • An Internet café[29]
  • West Edmonton Christian Assembly (WECA), an inter-denominational chapel[30]
  • Three radio stations: 97.3 K-Rock (classic rock), 840 CFCW (classic country and news programming), 96.3 The Breeze, are owned by Stingray Radio. The Stingray-owned area features studios, offices, and a small free museum. Stingray is located in the space formerly occupied by Playdium, with the broadcast studios visible from the mall (illuminated "on air" signs indicate when broadcasts are under way from those studios).
  • Dragon's Tale Black-lit Mini Golf is located nearby Galaxyland, along with the Crystal Labyrinth Mirror Maze.
  • A bronze whale sculpture is located outside the former Sears entrance (Phase I).
  • A brass man sculpture is located in the Phase I food court
  • A statue of three oil workers is located outside of the Phase I food court

Themed streets

The mall also includes several "theme areas" including:

Bourbon Street before it was refurbished.
Europa Boulevard in 2003, ten years before La Maison Simons opened
  • Bourbon Street (BRBN st.): Features clubs and restaurants in a New Orleans-influenced setting. Several restaurants and clubs are located here including 1ST RND, Boston Pizza, Earl's, Hudson's Canadian Tap House, Jungle Jim's Eatery, Marble Slab Creamery, Moxie's Classic Grill, MR MIKES Steakhouse & Bar, Rick Bronson's The Comic Strip, Sherlock Holmes Pub, Aussie Rules, Cajun Bistro and Dueling Piano Bar, and Tony Roma's. The lighting in this area is left intentionally dim to simulate a nighttime atmosphere. The area is situated in such a way that it can be closed off from the rest of the mall, allowing for hosting of special events, and for its establishments to stay open past the closing time of the rest of the mall. In the mid-2010s, this area was renovated and Bourbon Street was renamed BRBN St.
  • Europa Boulevard: Eclectic shops in an area designed to look like a European streetscape. It is home to Europa Watch & Jewelry, Fleurs Flowers, Opulence, G-Star Raw, Plush Skateboard Shop, Dr. Martens, B3, Cafe Levi, FYidoctors, Frank & Oak, Yasmin, Stitch It and several rentable conference rooms that look down on the Boulevard. Also, Europa Boulevard is home to the first La Maison Simons to open outside Quebec.[31]
  • "Chinatown": Asian-themed area anchored by a T & T Supermarket (in the former Canadian Tire location). It is located directly above Bourbon Street. The "Chinatown" signage was removed in May 2012 and the section, though still maintaining an Asian decor, is no longer exclusive to such businesses.
  • Bourbon Street
  • Europa Boulevard
  • Chinatown
  • RAAS (now Fourpost) in Phase IV of West Edmonton Mall.
  • Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 2DS kiosks in West Edmonton Mall near Phase 4. These have since moved to the former location of the submarines in Phase 3.
The former Flamingo Bay attraction at West Edmonton Mall. This attraction housed a flock of flamingoes, which later became Jungle Hangout, which housed a troop of ring-tailed lemurs and 2 sloths for about three years.

Upgrades

Construction on a total renovation of the mall shopping areas through all the phases began in spring 2011. The 'face lift' included the renovation of all mall common areas, which started in Phase I and finished in Phase IV. The most notable upgrades included the retrofit of an existing water fountain into new choreographed musical dancing fountains, hanging decor of ceramic roses in the Rose Court outside Victoria's Secret and glass oil droplets around the Oilmen Statue outside the Phase I Food Court. Most of the renovations were completed in 2014, however some areas of the mall continue construction, such as Park Lane and Chinatown.[32][33]

In 2017, the mall announced that the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace would undergo a renovation, retrofitting it with the latest technologies. The Ice Palace closed in mid 2017 and reopened in December.[34] Later in mid 2018, the mall announced that the World Waterpark would undergo renovations worth 2.5 million in September 2018.[35] All upgrades have since been completed.

Future developments

In 2002, the City of Edmonton approved plans for the mall to expand with an additional 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) of retail space, a facility for sports, trade shows and conventions, a 12-story office building, and a 600-unit apartment building, along with more parking.[36] However, none of these projects has begun construction except for the completed parking lot expansion located by the Rec Room.

On 16 October 2019, local car dealership Mayfield Toyota announced that will relocate to the West Edmonton Mall. The dealership, which will be primarily located in the old Sears store, will be approximately 118,000 square-feet and include up to 65 service bays, a detailing center, and a three aisle drive-thru that will intersect the entire mall. The project will also include the addition of a 200,000 square-foot parkade with 1000 parking stalls and valet service.[37]

Controversies

West Edmonton Mall was the object of a controversy in 2011 when, after arresting a woman for trespassing, their security staff were caught on video allegedly assaulting her. A judge had agreed to release the video after the charges against the woman were dismissed.[38]

In February 2015, the jihadist terrorist group al-Shabaab released a propaganda video calling for attacks on the West Edmonton Mall and other Western shopping centres. Although the group had hitherto never launched attacks in North America, security at the mall was tightened in response. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also indicated that there was no evidence of any imminent threat.[39] A few mock/drill lockdowns occurred after the threat.

West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre
West Edmonton Mall
Transit Centre
Platforms13 bus bays[40]
Construction
ParkingNo
Disabled accessYes
Other information
WebsiteWest Edmonton Mall Transit Centre

The West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre is a major transit centre on the south side of West Edmonton Mall, outside mall entrance 48. Buses using the transit centre enter and exit from 87 Avenue. The large shelter building at the transit centre is accessible and equipped with power doors. This transit centre has vending machines and a pay phone but no park & ride, public washrooms, or drop off area.[41] The transit centre is served by Edmonton Transit System (ETS) and St. Albert Transit (StAT).

$3 million in upgrades to the transit centre were completed in June 2017 and included a new heated indoor shelter (double the size of the previous shelter), new sidewalks, new lighting, and a new public art installation, among other changes.[41][42]

The LRT System's upcoming Valley Line West extension will include an elevated station at the West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre.[43]

The following bus routes serve the transit centre:[44]

To/From Routes
Acheson 562 ETS
Bonnie Doon 4 ETS
Brander Gardens 33 ETS
Cameron Heights 103 ETS
Capilano Transit Centre 1, 4, 112 ETS
Century Park Transit Centre 23 ETS
Clareview Transit Centre 2, 137 ETS
Donsdale 101, 103 ETS
Downtown 1, 2, 14, 100, 109, 111, 112 ETS
Eaux Claires Transit Centre 150 ETS
The Grange 136 ETS
The Hamptons 117, 136 ETS
Highlands 2 ETS
Jasper Place Transit Centre 1, 14, 109, 111, 113, 150, 311 ETS
Leger Transit Centre 23 ETS
Lessard 2, 101, 103, 106 ETS
Lewis Farms Transit Centre 4, 100, 117, 133, 136 ETS
Lymburn 102 ETS
MacEwan 2, 109, 111, 112 ETS
Meadowlark Transit Centre 1 ETS
Meadows Transit Centre 33 ETS
Millgate Transit Centre 33 ETS
Mill Woods Transit Centre 23 ETS
NAIT 98 ETS
Northgate Transit Centre 115, 137, 150 ETS
North-West Industrial 126, 129, 137 ETS
South Campus/Fort Edmonton Park Transit Centre 4, 106 ETS
Southgate Transit Centre 33 ETS
Stadium Transit Centre 2 ETS
St. Albert Village Transit Station 205 StAT
Spruce Grove 562 ETS
University Transit Centre 4, 106, 133 ETS
Valley Zoo 594 ETS
Wedgewood Heights 101, 103 ETS
Westmount Transit Centre 115, 122, 126, 129, 150 ETS
Westridge 107, 110 ETS
White Industrial 129 ETS
Whyte Ave 4 ETS

School special routes that arrive/depart from West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre include routes: 1S, 2S, 4S, 14S, 100S, 102S, 103S, 107S, 109S, 112S, 115S, and 150S.[45]

See also
  • List of shopping malls in Canada
  • List of largest enclosed shopping malls in Canada
  • List of largest shopping malls in the world

References
  1. "General Manager at West Edmonton Mall Property Inc". linkedin.
  2. "Store listing". WEM. West Edmonton Mall. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  3. Eastern Connecticut State University (January 2007). "World's Largest Shopping Malls". Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  4. Westly, Erica (10 November 2008). "The World's Largest Parking Lots". Forbes. Forbes Media LLC. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  5. "Largest car park". Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  6. Van Santvoort, Albert. "This Burnaby mall is now the third-busiest in Canada - despite its size". BurnabyNow.
  7. "The Biggest Shopping Malls in the World". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  8. "The Ghermezians build the West Edmonton Mall". CBC Archives. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  9. West Edmonton Mall. "Facts about WEM". Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  10. "History of WEM". WEM. West Edmonton Mall. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  11. Westly, Erica (10 April 2008). "The World's Largest Parking Lots". Forbes.com. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  12. Robinson, Allan (26 January 2007). "West Edmonton Mall financed again". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  13. "City of Edmonton : SLIM Maps". maps.edmonton.ca. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  14. "History of WEM". WEM. West Edmonton Mall. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  15. "Three killed in roller coaster accident at Edmonton mall". Nl.newsbank.com. 16 June 1986. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  16. "Adjusters assess storm damage to West Edmonton Mall". CBC News. 12 July 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  17. Emil Pocock (January 2000). "Table 3 World's Largest Shopping Centers Compared". American Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. American Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. Archived from the original (Archive) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  18. "The West Edmonton Mall is the Largest Mall in North America". mentalfloss.com. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  19. "West Edmonton Mall". The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  20. "Where Can I Find the Largest Indoor Water Park?". The 6th Floor. The New York Times. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  21. "Most bungee jumps in 24 hours (indoors)". Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  22. "S&S Worldwide". S-spower.com. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  23. Mah, Bill (14 June 2015). "West Edmonton Mall sells Ice Palace naming rights to auto dealer". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  24. "Edmontonians honour those who fought for our country". 11 November 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  25. Bartko, Karen (13 July 2017). "West Edmonton Mall ice rink undergoing $3M renovation". Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  26. "Fantasyland Hotel". Fantasyland Hotel. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  27. "Edmonton Shooting Range". Shootingcentre.com. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  29. Blue Shift Gaming
  30. "Marketplace Chapel". Marketplace Chapel. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  31. Bill Mah (20 January 2011). "Simons to dominate mall's Europa Boulevard". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  32. Mah, Bill (21 January 2011). "Multimillion-dollar facelift set for WEM". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  33. "WEM Revitalization". West Edmonton Mall. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  34. "West Edmonton Mall ice rink undergoing $3M renovation". Global News. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  35. "West Edmonton Mall waterpark undergoes $2.5 million renovation". Edmonton Journal Updated. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  36. International Council of Shopping Centers. "West Edmonton Mall gets go-ahead for expansion"
  37. Labine, Jeff (13 October 2019). "Mayfield Toyota announces 118,000-square-foot dealership plans for West Edmonton Mall". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  38. VIDEO | Edmonton woman alleges assault by mall guards – Edmonton – CBC News. Cbc.ca (19 December 2011). Retrieved on 12 July 2013.
  39. "No "imminent threat" to West Edmonton Mall visitors, RCMP says". Edmonton Journal. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  40. "West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre Map" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  41. "West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  42. Osman, Laura (13 May 2016). "West Edmonton Mall transit centre construction begins Monday". CBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  43. "Valley Line West. Downtown to Lewis Farms" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Spring 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  44. "Brochures in PDF". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  45. "School Service: ETS Trip Planner". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
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