St. Laurent Shopping Centre

[J.OT13]

A genuinely awesome "new" addition to St. Laurent and a true attraction!

New Ottawa arcade brings back a taste of the 90s

Couple make their longtime dream of opening an arcade in Canada a reality

Jenna Legge · CBC News · Posted: Aug 05, 2026



For anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, the electric buzz, hoots, hollers and beeps of a classic video game arcade are likely familiar.

It's an environment one pair of high school sweethearts is bringing to the St. Laurent Shopping Centre with a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Boss Battle Games, which opened on the mall's main floor on July 31, is filled with carefully curated games like Star Wars and Jurassic Park and was a long-time dream of co-owners Phylicia and Dustin Burd.

The couple had plans for the arcade back in 2019 as a second location of their arcade of the same name in Indianapolis.

When the pandemic hit, those plans were paused.

"We were very lucky that we were able to survive through COVID and we were able to finally take that leap to move," Phylicia to CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

Each machine has a story, Phylicia said, adding that the pair have gone through some interesting lengths to secure their collection.

"We go out and we buy games that are in horse pastures, barns, basements, auctions. We've gone to a building before that was about to be demolished," she said.

"We want to give these machines a second chance. We do all our own maintenance, we do all our own art restoration. We love these machines."



With gaming done largely online these days, Phylicia said that the community connection is not the same. Growing up, she said she remembers the role her local arcade had in community building and it's a role she wants to bring back.

"I believe that arcade games and arcades in general are a really cool third space that we don't appreciate anymore as a society," she said.

"Back in the day, you'd go to an arcade and you would line up quarters for who was playing next, and you met people. You could challenge people."

She added that their first location was a clear example.

"We've had people get engaged at the arcade, we've had people get married at the arcade, we've watched children grow up in the arcade."



Boss Battle Games comes with a twist from the days of lining up for quarters: free play. Customers are able to pay once and then can play as much as they want for as long as they want.

The goal is for players to have the chance to try new games that they would potentially shy away from if they had to pay per play, and also get better at their favourites.

"They can come in and they can practice the combos or the moves or different characters, and there's no pressure to keep pumping coins in so then they actually get really good at it."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-boss-battle-games-arcade-stlaurent-9.7296567

[acottawa]

They seem very passionate and I hope it is successful. I worry that this is something that people might try once.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by acottawa

They seem very passionate and I hope it is successful. I worry that this is something that people might try once.

It being in a mall and subject to their hours could be a limitation. Plus it lacks the walkupability (is that a word?) of Targ. Even if this is your destination you have to either drive or was down some pretty unpleasant roads and cross a giant parking lot if you are coming from Manor Park.

Plus Targ has some kick ass cover bands and beer and basically bar hours. I've spent a few evenings there.

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

[J.OT13]

Splitsville bowling alley coming to the old Sears space! I guess that's why they moved Urban Behavio(u)r to the old HBC space.

Though this is great news, I wonder if the Splitsville arcade might compete with the small independent arcade that just opened, or if they'll complement each other.

No plans for a grocery store at this point, but Morguard has been turning to food retailers for other properties, so fingers crossed.

Morguard Advances Mall Redevelopments as Retail Leasing Strength Continues Across Canada

Craig Patterson, Retail Insider
August 13, 2026

Morguard Real Estate Investment Trust is advancing a series of redevelopment projects across its Canadian shopping centre portfolio, bringing grocery stores, entertainment concepts and expanding national retailers into spaces formerly occupied by department stores and other large-format tenants.

The REIT reported improving retail occupancy and positive leasing momentum during the second quarter of 2026, with grocery-anchored community centres operating near capacity and enclosed malls continuing to post income growth despite the challenges created by Hudson’s Bay’s departure from several properties.

At St. Laurent Centre in Ottawa, a multi-year remerchandising program has already contributed to approximately 10 per cent increases in both foot traffic and sales productivity among smaller retailers, according to management. Additional projects are underway at malls in Saskatoon, Red Deer and Cambridge, Ontario, involving retailers and concepts including Uniqlo, Sport Chek, No Frills, Splitsville and Activate.

Retail Occupancy Continues to Improve

Retail occupancy reached approximately 89.7 per cent at the end of June, up from 88 per cent at the close of 2025 and 60 basis points higher than the previous quarter.

Morguard reported occupancy of approximately 95 per cent across its community shopping centres and 87.8 per cent across its enclosed regional malls.

The REIT owns interests in 18 retail properties comprising approximately 4.3 million square feet. Its broader commercial portfolio, which also includes office and industrial assets, totals roughly eight million square feet across six provinces.

Community shopping centres generated same-asset net operating income growth of 5.9 per cent during the quarter, while enclosed regional malls recorded growth of 2.5 per cent.

Management described the community centre portfolio as effectively full, reflecting the stability of grocery stores, financial institutions and other daily-needs retailers that continue to generate consistent customer traffic.

The enclosed mall portfolio has required more active redevelopment, particularly where former department stores created significant vacancies. Even so, Morguard reported solid tenant sales, healthy traffic levels and positive leasing spreads secured throughout 2025 that continued to support retail performance this year.

St. Laurent Centre Becomes the Portfolio’s Showcase Redevelopment

St. Laurent Centre has emerged as Morguard’s flagship example of how strategic tenant remerchandising can strengthen an established regional shopping centre.

The Ottawa property is undergoing a multi-year transformation designed to introduce prominent national and international retailers while redeveloping former Sears and Hudson’s Bay space.

The first phase, completed in late 2025, created new or expanded premises for H&M, Sephora and La Vie en Rose through an investment of approximately $5.4 million.

Management said those additions have already produced measurable benefits. Foot traffic has increased by approximately 10 per cent, while sales productivity among smaller retailers has also risen by roughly 10 per cent, according to John Ginis, vice-president of retail asset management.

“Productivity of the shopping centre is up because foot traffic is up,” Ginis said. He added that sales among the mall’s smaller tenants had increased by a similar amount.

The next phase centres on approximately 84,000 square feet of former Sears space. Morguard has allocated approximately $23.3 million toward that redevelopment, including demolition of an obsolete parking structure connected to the former department store. The broader St. Laurent program is expected to involve between $25 million and $30 million in investment.

A 12,600-square-foot Uniqlo store is expected to open in early 2027. Sport Chek will relocate into a new-format store within the redeveloped area, while Splitsville will introduce a new entertainment destination. The larger redevelopment is expected to continue into 2028.

Rather than replacing one traditional anchor with another, the project assembles several complementary uses that can attract customers for different reasons and at different times of the week.

Hudson’s Bay Leaves Different Challenges at Different Properties

Hudson’s Bay previously occupied approximately 290,000 square feet across St. Laurent Centre and Cambridge Centre, generating roughly $1.5 million in annualized gross rent for Morguard REIT before the leases were terminated through the retailer’s creditor-protection proceedings.

The Cambridge Centre lease was disclaimed in June 2025. The St. Laurent lease remained part of Hudson’s Bay’s lease monetization process for several additional months and was included among the locations proposed for transfer to a new department store venture led by B.C. businesswoman Ruby Liu. The court rejected that transaction in October 2025, and the St. Laurent lease was disclaimed the following month.

The closures immediately affected occupancy and rental income, but they also created opportunities to rethink how large department store boxes function within modern shopping centres.

Urban Behaviour Provides an Interim Solution at St. Laurent

One of Morguard’s earliest responses was relocating Urban Behaviour into part of the former Hudson’s Bay premises at St. Laurent Centre. The retailer opened in the lower level of the former department store in May 2026, allowing Morguard to reactivate part of the space while broader redevelopment plans continue.

Management said Urban Behaviour has been performing exceptionally well at the property.

The move demonstrates how landlords can use existing successful tenants to restore activity while planning longer-term redevelopment requiring larger capital investments.

Grocery Continues Expanding Into Canadian Malls

Morguard is also strengthening its enclosed malls by introducing grocery anchors.

A No Frills opened at Parkland Mall in Red Deer during late 2025 following a redevelopment costing approximately $1.6 million. The project transformed previously vacant space into more than 22,000 square feet of income-producing retail.

Another No Frills is under construction at The Centre in Saskatoon within former Target space. The approximately 30,000-square-foot store is expected to open during the second quarter of 2027 following an investment of approximately $4.7 million.

Management expects both stores to become significant traffic generators.

The projects reflect a broader trend across Canadian shopping centres, where grocery retailers are increasingly replacing large-format vacancies and creating dependable weekly visitation that benefits neighbouring merchants.

Entertainment Continues Expanding Within Regional Shopping Centres

Entertainment has become another important component of Morguard’s redevelopment strategy.

Alongside Splitsville at St. Laurent Centre, the REIT is converting approximately 11,000 square feet of former cinema space at The Centre in Saskatoon for Activate. The project is expected to cost approximately $2.2 million and be completed during the second quarter of 2027.

Entertainment operators can often occupy spaces that are difficult to divide among conventional retailers while extending customer visits into evenings and weekends, supporting restaurants and other nearby businesses.

==SNIP==

Canadian Shopping Centres Continue to Evolve

Morguard’s redevelopment program reflects broader changes taking place across Canada’s shopping centre industry. Rather than relying on a single department store to anchor an entire property, landlords are increasingly assembling a mix of grocery, fashion, sporting goods, beauty and entertainment tenants that create multiple reasons for customers to visit.

At St. Laurent, that strategy now includes Uniqlo, Sport Chek, Splitsville, H&M, Sephora and Urban Behaviour. In Red Deer and Saskatoon, No Frills is introducing regular grocery traffic, while Activate adds another destination beyond traditional retail shopping.

The early results at St. Laurent suggest the approach is gaining traction. Higher foot traffic and stronger sales among smaller retailers indicate that investment in anchor spaces can strengthen performance across an entire shopping centre.

Morguard expects retail performance to remain stable through the balance of 2026 as redevelopment projects continue.

While work remains to replace former Hudson’s Bay space at several properties, the REIT’s recent leasing activity suggests well-located Canadian shopping centres continue to attract investment from retailers prepared to expand their physical presence.

As department stores continue to disappear from the retail landscape, Morguard’s strategy points toward a different model for Canada’s regional malls — one built around a diverse mix of destinations rather than a single dominant anchor.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-inside...easing-strength-continues-across-canada/

[J.OT13]

Drove by today. They didn't just tear down the parking garage, but also the original 1960s canopy, which is sad. The entire Sears entrance on that side, top to bottom, is covered, so big changes coming.

[J.OT13]

Spirit Halloween opened at the old Toy's R' Us.