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Originally Posted by someone123
I don't remember first hand what was there before Barrington Gate, but I have heard that there was some kind of infirmary or hospital building that burned down - maybe the one with the dormers in that photo.
I've seen the four storey one in a few photos but I don't know what it was or when it came down. The buildings behind it near Blowers were old wooden houses from the 1700s (I think the one on the corner belonged to Malachy Salter, the guy who they named Salter Street after, but I could be mistaken). Again, I don't know if those buildings survived into the 90s and burned down or if they were gone long before that.
I have a lot of memories of the Sears outlet mall because that's a place where I was actually dragged as a kid. West End Mall was also busy back in the early-mid 90s (Bayers Rd too), had ugly 70s style brown tile, and was full of old people smoking. Thinking back, I don't really miss those days. 
I remember the escalators toward the back of the Sears but I don't remember how it connected to the mall exactly. |
Sears connected to the rest of the West End Mall on that main level, towards the end closest Chebucto Road. The Escalator was further back in that corner, and went down to a landing area with a travel agency and a hairsalon (sears branded), maybe a photostudio too. Then another escalator (and stairs) took you the rest of the way down to the Bargain Basement. It was kinda neat, it always reminded me of going down into a subway station.
The building on Barrington was the original Halifax Infirmary opened by the Sisters of Charity in 1886. It moved to Queen Street in 1933. I remember in the 80's it was called Hell's Hotel, and frequented by street kids and others as a hangout/home. I was in there one night with a group of friends... guided in by a girl i knew who had lived in there from time to time. Friggin' scary place.. pitch black, holes in the floors, open elevator shaft. It burned down in the early 90's, probably from kids lighting a fire to keep warm.