Wellington Square Mall Lives

Several people told me that they were in a big queue to get tickets for the 1976 Montreal Olympics that snaked around the Mall. Eaton's was said to have sold swag for the Montreal Olympics. Please let me know if you waited in this line up or saved souvenirs from these Olympics sold at the Mall.

These an update. pictures were taken by John McKittrick in 1982. Robert Campeau had bought the Mall. He renovated and would change the name from Wellington Square Mall to Eaton Square. It was clear that the Mall needed an update.

When Wellington Square opened in 1960, William Zeckendorf, Jr. (seen cutting the ribbon at the opening) was a developer active in Canada. Fred Kingsmill remembered the Mall's arrival as an epiphany in the evolution of downtown. He said retailers had to pull up their socks to compete. Their neighbour on Dundas Street and Market Lane, the Simpsons Company, had grown organically from the acquisition of the former Smallman and Ingram - considered London's true carriage trade depa...rtment store. Zeckendorf's office in New York City was cylindrical, with multiple doors, and was designed by the late I.M. Pei with whom he worked on many development projects. Zeckendorf, in the photo at right in Montreal discussing Place Ville Marie) Fred Kingsmill said he was noted for being able to carry on several telephone conversations simultaneously. Several members of the London business community remember Zeckendorf's chutzpah. And vision. See more

Victor Aziz, father and son, have one of London's finest photography studios, still in operation, on Waterloo Street near Central. Victor Sr. took the iconic black and white large format photos of the opening of Wellington Square Mall. THey also made postcards out of colour images of the Mall. His photos of downtown London at night are some of the most iconic images of our city. Many used family members in key locations, like a lit photo booth, to give perspective. Victor Azi...z, Jr. loves this image of him with his father, shot by John McKittrick at their store in Wellington Square on the Polaroid SX-70. This camera was brand new and the McKittrick's were the first ones in town to have one. Victor said it was really cool thinking that film could be developed in front of your eyes and waiting for the image to roll out of the camera was like "watching someone stick out their tongue." See more

That expert go-go dancer, shimmying in the tasseled dress, is London-native, Kathy Smith. Before she joined a band in Toronto she danced for lots of local bands at Wellington Square Mall and was a regular on Wing Ding. She was part of a Youth League in the Mall and even danced in store windows during Youth Week in 1963/64. Does anyone remember seeing these kinds of shindigs in the Mall?

The Cotton Club at Wellington Square Mall! Did anyone attend this show? Anyone keep any of those cotton prints? I would be interested in any fabrics or handmade clothes from fabric you purchased at the Mall. Thanks to London Ont, Past Present & Future for this great photo and details.