It seems like the Station Mall is not the centre of it all! The shopping choices are not available to us as in past years, remember Sears? There was a restaurant, and weary shoppers could take a break, have lunch or dinner, and continue shopping! Woolco was open everynight! Zellers had a breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
A lot of seniors, otherwise forced to shop elsewhere, had a daily routine, to go to the Mall, and gather with friends! Thankfully, Walmart opened up, and all residents had a chance to shop for groceries nearby! We don't all have cars to get us where we would like to go, so seniors and downtown residents could depend on Walmart for all types of goods.
Looking back, I miss those days.
The Mall was filled, and it fit people of all walks of life. This Mall, is old, it doesn't have benches placed in the main mall, that you may sit on to take a break, for seniors, mothers, kids, and the disabled. There are no wheel chairs made available for use, like the electric ones in Walmart on Great Northern Road!
Downtown, isn't the fifties and sixties, where there was two way traffic, loads of restaurants, movie theatres to watch, stores busy on Friday nights. We were a typical town, boomers were in their teens, and a bit older! There was even car dealerships, gas stations, pharmacies, shoe stores, not any more! Time has taken its toll!
The congestion on Great Northern Road is frustrating. I don't understand why people want to live in apartments on such a busy street. Ambulance, fire, police sirens, it's all there everyday. The pollution must be incredible.
The dust, heavy trucks, the bus stops are all adding to the slowing of traffic. I truly believe, we as a community should band together, buy the Station Mall, and build waterfront apartments, and use the waterfront as a beautiful inviting area for pedestrians, shoppers, and physicians, dentists, chiropractors, etc. on the main floor, with living accommodations upwards. Condos as well, as the current ones are not the best. Housing, and mental health clinics should be there as well. We need new, modern builds.
I think it's high time we invest in ourselves, this City, than send money everywhere, but our hometown!
Glenna Davey
Sault Ste. Marie