It’s no secret I love to shop. And while I love to scout out unique and fabulous boutiques and stores, I can’t say no to a good mall. My favourite since I can remember has been Chinook Centre. Now please, try and suppress your groans. While the parking situation leaves a lot to be desired as of late, and further expansions and renos have us in a ‘aren’t they done yet?’ tizzy, Chinook Centre has been a Calgary institution for 50 years.
And while I’d rather shop in a mall than read about one, I found myself intrigued by Monica Zurowski’s recently released Chinook Centre: A City Within a City, an ode to the Calgary retail experience.
Hard to imagine it now amidst the mammoth structure and endless shops, when the mall opened it’s doors August 17, 1960, only 45 stores called Chinook Centre home. Included in the mix was Finney Rogers Sports & Hobbies, which sold shotguns in plain view. (It was the ol’ west after all.)
The fact that the mall was open two nights a week—the first shopping centre in Western Canada to do so—caused quite an excited stir. As did Woodwards’ conveyor belt-powered parking lot parcel pick-up, begging the question, how did that ever go out of style?
The book is chock full of such factoids and photos, memorable moments, nostalgic city history, notable Calgarians and Canadians, as well as catwalk fashion through the decades.
So next time you walk by the more than 200 stores (and counting), maybe drop by customer service and throw a suggestion their way. Conveyor belt parcel pick-up? Time to bring that back.
Book available at Chinook Centre customer service kiosk ($24.95).