Building the West Edmonton Mall

Until the 1980s, the city of Edmonton saw growth and construction at a rate as you would expect from a western Canadian city. Colleges, churches and museums were built. In 1971 they got their national hockey team, gaining the city further recognition. But nothing brought fame to this Canadian city quite like the megamall. 

Building the West Edmonton Mall

It took four stages to complete the basic foundation of the mall. In total, all four stages took place from 1981 – 1999. The first stage focused on just retail stores and service providers. The doors to the mall opened in September 1981. Phase 2 was completed two years later. More shops, an amusement park and an ice rink were completed in this phase. 

The amusement park was first called Fantasyland but the mall was actually sued by Disney in 1993 over the name. The court did rule in the favour of Disney but the mall appealed the decision. It wasn’t until this appeal was thrown away in 1994 that the mall actually had to change the name. Fantasyland was renamed Galaxyland and has been that way ever since. 

Phase 3 took place over the next two years and finished in September 1985. This construction phase added two waterparks among other expansion projects. It was this phase that pushed the mall to a size of over 5 million square feet. The current shape of the mall that we know today is the result of the final phase that was completed in 1999. 

This final phase of construction added a hotel across the street for additional guest accommodation. 

But There’s More!

In 2002, the city of Edmonton agreed to another expansion, adding another 300,000 square feet to the megamall. This expansion would include – you guessed it – more stores. It also included an office building, a convention center, and even an apartment building. 

They are constantly doing updates and renovations on the mall. In 2017, the mall even redid the ice rink, as pictured below. 

Modern Day West Edmonton

The West Edmonton Mall is now home to a marine park, waterpark, Toyota Ice Palace, a bowling alley and themed shopping streets. The website breaks down the West Edmonton Mall experience into, “Play, Shop and Dine” – the true manifestation of the Disneyworld of shopping centers.

The Cost of West Edmonton Mall

In January 2007, the mall was valued at just under $1 billion – $926 million to be exact. In 2016, that value had gone up to $1.3 billion. Over 30 million people visit the mall every year, making it more of a tourist attraction than a mall.

For those looking to take in the mall in its entirety, it would take about three 24-hour days of constant shopping to visit everything in the mall at least once. It would be the literal case of shopping until you drop.

The Future of Megamalls

There are two things that could threaten the future of the megamall. The first is that the next generation is wearier of capitalism and consumerism. The second is that while shopping online has become more common and practical. That being said, the additional attractions and vacation-esque feel to the malls may ensure that these tourist traps last longer than the typical shopping mall. As one Forbes article said, “malls are still considered a destination, but it’s because they now offer amenities, experiences and entertainment to enhance the shopping experience.”

Whatever the future of megamalls are, the construction of the West Edmonton Mall acts as a symbol of how a small city can be transformed by a dream. The growth of the mall over a period of time and multiple construction phases is really astounding when you think about it. The capital of Alberta becoming a tourist destination for travellers from all over the world is pretty cool. If nothing more, this mall helped to put Edmonton on the map.