Dead Malls of Canada

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by harls

Ottawa radio is funny. They announce their St. Hubert locations but don't mention any place in Gatineau. Like the radio waves end at the Ottawa river.

I remember calling into a radio contest in Ottawa one time, and was the magic caller number 7 (or whatever it was).

Guy said "Uh are you calling from Quebec?"

"Er... yes"

"Sorry, you are not eligible"

*click*

Just listen to any radio station in Ottawa and they will never have a Quebecer on their contest line. INTERDIT.

Though for those instant giveaways to "caller number X" I've never actually heard them say that Quebec residents should not bother calling.

Perhaps the people fielding the calls do a screening as you describe?

Anyway, I don't listen to those types of stations much, and am even less likely to call in to win stuff.

I do notice that ads for more elaborate contests (ie buy a case of Labatt's Blue and you could win a trip to Acapulco) often say "Ontario residents only" at the end.

Another thing is that in terms of the people they put on the air (either as contest winners or to comment) most stations in recent years seem to have stopped asking people where they're calling from. Not sure why that is.

[ssiguy]

Who knew that a thread about dead malls could so quickly degenerate into a St.Hubert and Swiss Chalet slug fest?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Who knew that a thread about dead malls could so quickly degenerate into a St.Hubert and Swiss Chalet slug fest?

Was there ever really any contest between the two?




Traditionnelle ou crémeuse?

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

Consider yourself lucky, at least you didn't have to endure the Great Big Sea .

A true Ottawa radio giveaway would be tickets to a Supertramp/Max Webster/David Wilcox triple bill at the Gatineau Balloon Fest

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

A true Ottawa radio giveaway would be tickets to a Supertramp/Max Webster/David Wilcox triple bill at the Gatineau Balloon Fest

. I love Supertramp and Max Webster, don't know much about David Wilcox.

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Who knew that a thread about dead malls could so quickly degenerate into a St.Hubert and Swiss Chalet slug fest?

Yes threads tend to do that. To be fair, Shit Chalet is near a lot of dead malls. Family Happens At Dead Malls!
• Video Link

Here's a strip mall that could be described as dead (if they removed the metro it would be screwed), in Oakville that has a Swiss Chalet.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4829...7i16384!8i8192

And since Molson loves clocktowers so much, they added one just for him!
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4829...7i16384!8i8192

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

. I love Supertramp and Max Webster, don't know much about David Wilcox.

There is a radio station just for you then CHEZ 106 here in Ottawa. Classsssiiiiiccccc Rooooooooooooooooccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk.

Play the same 50 songs every day.

[stevanford1]

I go camping in Parry Sound every year with my family and I just remembered how dead the mall in Parry Sound really is.


That's the main entrance that makes it appear like the entire complex is really just one big Hart! Not a good look considering that Hart is just a giant dollar store fused with a Zellers!



Believe it or not this mall used to be a pretty decent little mall. Then Wal-Mart and it's power centre pals (Home Depot, Dollarama, Marks, and Pet Value) moved into town and it was just like a light going out. People stopped shopping at the Parry Sound Mall. SAAN (who I bought an umbrella from one year), went bankrupt in 2008 leaving the mall without an anchor tenant (which Hart filled). It's a complete ghost town inside these days!



TINY TOON!


A true dead mall if there ever was one...

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

There is a radio station just for you then CHEZ 106 here in Ottawa. Classsssiiiiiccccc Rooooooooooooooooccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk.

Play the same 50 songs every day.

Great....not another one! Up here we have CHUM-FM which plays Shape Of You by Ed Sheeren 500000000000 times a day (minimum). I hate the state of modern radio.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

There is a radio station just for you then CHEZ 106 here in Ottawa. Classsssiiiiiccccc Rooooooooooooooooccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk.

Play the same 50 songs every day.

It's actually pretty genius - you don't even have to be up on what's happening in the music world, ever again.

The world stopped in 1989 for these folks.

Even country stations have to make a concession to modern country. Not classic rock stations - it's like being trapped in amber.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

That's the main entrance that makes it appear like the entire complex is really just one big Hart! Not a good look considering that Hart is just a giant dollar store fused with a Zellers!

I'm always curious about the business model for Hart.

They don't seem to have many customers. They don't really sell anything. Their stores are located in dead malls. Yet they continue to exist.

It's like Giant Tiger, but without people.

So, maybe it's a money laundering thing.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

. I love Supertramp and Max Webster, don't know much about David Wilcox.

Yeah, I love Supertramp. Saw them at Exhibition Stadium a million years a go. Like me a couple of max webster songs too (let go the line).

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Yeah, I love Supertramp. Saw them at Exhibition Stadium a million years a go. Like me a couple of max webster songs too (let go the line).

Exhibition Stadium! Now that's a blast from the past! I quite miss it .

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by wave46

It's actually pretty genius - you don't even have to be up on what's happening in the music world, ever again.

The world stopped in 1989 for these folks.

Even country stations have to make a concession to modern country. Not classic rock stations - it's like being trapped in amber.

'Trapper in amber' I'll have to remember that one.

In the summer of 1984 I worked in a warehouse in Toronto and they played Q107 all day long and loud. I swear I heard 4 or 5 songs by ZZ Top (Legs, Give me all your lovin' etc), and equal numbers by Zep, Eagles, BTO, AC/DC, the stones all day long and it was always the same songs by those groups...all of which had many albums to draw from.

Not sure what the state is of classic rock radio across canada these days...radio in general is not doing well I would think and cbc is funded by the taxpayer.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by wave46

I'm always curious about the business model for Hart.

They don't seem to have many customers. They don't really sell anything. Their stores are located in dead malls. Yet they continue to exist.

It's like Giant Tiger, but without people.

So, maybe it's a money laundering thing.

Haha, that's a pretty good description. I've been to a number of locations in both Ontario and Quebec. Their stores are a step up from Giant Tiger. Maybe Hart gets better deals on rent per square foot. They seem to be prefer locations that no other retailers want.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Though for those instant giveaways to "caller number X" I've never actually heard them say that Quebec residents should not bother calling.

Perhaps the people fielding the calls do a screening as you describe?

Anyway, I don't listen to those types of stations much, and am even less likely to call in to win stuff.

I do notice that ads for more elaborate contests (ie buy a case of Labatt's Blue and you could win a trip to Acapulco) often say "Ontario residents only" at the end.

Another thing is that in terms of the people they put on the air (either as contest winners or to comment) most stations in recent years seem to have stopped asking people where they're calling from. Not sure why that is.

Contests are illegal in QC or for QC residents unless the organization pays the QC government or puts the prize in escrow. It's more complex than that but it's the gist of it.

And Swiss Chalet's gravy tastes like diluted medication. I can't fathom how that ever got to be a popular taste. It's just fucking disgusting.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by p_xavier

Contests are illegal in QC or for QC residents unless the organization pays the QC government or puts the prize in escrow. It's more complex than that but it's the gist of it.

And Swiss Chalet's gravy tastes like diluted medication. I can't fathom how that ever got to be a popular taste. It's just fucking disgusting.

Why? Does the Province tax prize winnings?

[MolsonExport]

Giant Tiger is a mystery to me. Take a Walmart, shrink it by 85%, divide it by a Bargain! Store, and presto.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Giant Tiger is a mystery to me. Take a Walmart, shrink it by 85%, divide it by a Bargain! Store, and presto.

I can see why it thrives in small towns and inner city areas where people don't have ready access to a Walmart. But I don't get the ones located in shopping districts that already have Walmart and other shopping options... there are a few in Winnipeg located a stone's throw from Walmarts and they seem utterly pointless. One of them announced it would be closing even before covid.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Why? Does the Province tax prize winnings?

It definitely does not. In that sense things are no different here than elsewhere in Canada.

It's a bureaucratic-statist control thing I gather.

Loto-Québec is a big money-maker so they don't want parallel gaming to eat into their profits, and they jealously guard that niche.

I remember at one place I worked people got rapped on the knuckles for holding an internal 50-50 draw for charity with a few hundred bucks in the pot.