Bayside Centre (Sarnia, Ontario)

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The 260,000 sq. ft. shopping mall was constructed in 1982 under the Province of Ontario's Ontario Downtown Renewal Program, which was instituted to revitalize the downtown retail areas in smaller Ontario communities. Land clearance and demolition of existing buildings was undertaken by the City of Sarnia.

The mall was originally named "The Eaton Centre" after the centre's anchor tenant, Eaton's (T. Eaton Company of Canada). The Eaton's department store contained three levels, including a basement level connected to the one level underground parking garage. The remainder of the mall was only one level including an A&P grocery store.

In the short term, the mall suceeded in reversing the decline of downtown, but also had the unintended vacuum cleaner effect of replacing or relocating viable main street businesses with businesses located inside the mall. In addition, the enclosed mall design turned inward and failed to relate to the existing retail establishments along Christina Street.

In the long term, largely because of increased competion from Lambton Mall, Walmart and other suburban retailers, the mall lost most of its original tenants, many not renewing their leases when they expired after 10 years. Eaton's closed in 1997 and the A&P left shortly thereafter in 2000.

Since that time the mall was renamed the "Bayside Centre" and is now home to a number of mixed retail and service concerns, the largest of these being the government run Lambton Shared Services Centre which has occupied the old Eaton' store since 2001. Other tenants include;

Global Donuts
Hong Kong Express
Beanzz
Limbo Lounge & Martini House
Subway
Mandarin Arts Marsh TV
Aon Reed Stenhouse
Lambton Senior Drop In Centre
Ministry of Children & Youth Services
Ministry of Training for Colleges & Universities
Galley Lambton
Aliya Bridal Fashions
Preferred Hair Stylists
Edward Norton International
Canadian Blood Services
Anjema Eye Institute
Hogan Pharmacy
Sarnia Community Physiotherapy
Bayshore Physicians Group
Sarnia Vision Centre