Ottawa’s malls are dying. What does the future hold for local big-box retail?

Ottawa’s malls and shopping centres seem to be reaching the end of their reign as preferred retail destinations as businesses continue to close, leaving vacant storefronts in some of the city’s most familiar shopping centres, as shoppers continue to choose online shopping over in-person retail.

Rather than the bustling community hubs of the past, older malls like Billings Bridge, Westgate and Carlingwood are more like ghost towns, with large “clearance — closing sale” banners and empty stores. For the shoppers who swear by the small businesses that have occupied these malls for decades, the future of the shopping centres is worrisome.

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