Walmart reveals when it will open new store in Oakville, Ontario

Walmart is about to take up residency at a long-established Ontario mall, and the opening date has been revealed.

The American retail giant will be operating at Hopedale Mall in Oakville, becoming the second of its supercentres in town.

Many stores have come and gone at the mall, including Kmart, Zellers and Target. Now it’s Walmart’s turn.

While construction continues at the site, a large banner in front of the store indicates it will open on Oct. 16.

Located at Third Line and Rebecca Street, the mall, now known as South Oakville Centre but still called Hopedale Mall by those who have long lived in the neighbourhood, has seen its prospects sag over the years as several businesses have closed.

Most recently, Target gave the location a try, but when that company pulled up stakes after a short two-year stint in 2015, it left a huge vacancy.

Hopedale opened in 1959 as an outdoor plaza, making it one of the first of its kind in the town that only had a population of around 10,000. By 1971, it undertook a major revamp, turning it into a covered mall that served a large portion of the community.

“It was great back then, especially for a kid,” said Remo Centiri, who has lived in the area since the 1960s. “As a high schooler, it was a place to hang out with your friends, grab some snacks, play some video games. Everyone knew Hopedale Mall.”

Centiri said over the years, the mall began to slip with many stores left vacant as larger anchor businesses such as Kmart and Zellers never captured the imagination of shoppers.

He said the last major push happened when Target moved in.

“There was a lot of excitement about Target; it was supposed to revitalize everything,” he continued. “But it seemed to close just as fast as it opened, and that big empty space has really hurt.”

While stores like Metro, the LCBO, Beer and Gino’s Pizza still attract customers, many are banking that Walmart’s proven track record can turn things around.

Along with typical department store goods such as clothes, furniture, appliances and general household goods, a Walmart supercentre also sells groceries and an expanded array of merchandise, similar to the one on Hays Boulevard in the Trafalgar Road and Dundas Street area in the north part of the town. There will also be a pharmacy on-site at the new store.