Jardins Dorval
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA historic neighbourhood shopping centre in Dorval, Quebec, and one of the earliest suburban shopping centres in Montreal's West Island.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Jardins Dorval, also known as Dorval Gardens or Les Jardins Dorval, is a shopping centre in Dorval, Quebec, on Dorval Avenue near Autoroute 20. It is identified in reference material as the oldest shopping centre in Montreal's West Island and one of the earliest suburban shopping centres in the Montreal region. The centre was developed in 1954 by Sam Steinberg and his Ivanhoe Corporation, the property group associated with the Steinberg supermarket business. It initially opened as a large L-shaped strip centre with 35 stores. Its original anchors were Morgan's department store and Steinberg's supermarket, reflecting the mid-century suburban retail model in which a department store and grocer drew customers to a cluster of smaller shops and services. Most of the original tenants opened on April 7, 1954, while Morgan's inaugurated its store later that month. The Morgan's location was substantial for its time and became the largest of the retailer's three suburban stores until a larger location opened in North York. Morgan's expanded to two floors in 1961, but the store was destroyed by a major fire in April 1969. During reconstruction, the department store operated temporarily in a former bowling-alley site associated with the Dorval Theatre. The rebuilt store reopened in March 1970 and was subsequently rebranded as The Bay in 1972. The centre evolved from an open-air strip mall into an enclosed shopping destination. Enclosure work began in 1968, and during the 1970s much of the complex was surrounded with glass, although the Steinberg's and The Bay premises retained distinct configurations. A major 1985 expansion produced the centre's current general layout and approximately doubled its store count. The expansion added retail space to the north and east of the original portions and included a Pascal hardware store that had relocated from a nearby strip centre. Tenant changes followed broader shifts in Canadian retail. Pascal closed in 1991, and its space later reopened as Zellers in October 1992. Zellers closed in January 2012; Walmart subsequently took over the lease, renovated the premises, and opened in September 2012. This Walmart location was not among the Zellers stores acquired from Target Canada. The original Steinberg's supermarket also changed banners, becoming a Provigo in 1992. Reference material identifies Walmart, Hudson's Bay, and Maxi as the centre's principal anchors, while noting that Hudson's Bay was scheduled to close in late 2021. The property has been managed by CentreCorp Management Services Ltd.; Ivanhoe owned it for more than four decades before its 2001 sale. Jardins Dorval remains a local shopping centre serving Dorval and nearby West Island communities, with its identity rooted in convenience retail, grocery shopping, department-store history, and small-format services rather than destination luxury or national brand-building.
History
Jardins Dorval was developed in 1954 by Sam Steinberg and Ivanhoe Corporation in Dorval, Quebec. Its opening represented the spread of automobile-oriented suburban retail beyond central Montreal. The original property was an L-shaped open-air strip centre with 35 stores. Steinberg's supermarket and Morgan's department store served as the principal anchors, while smaller tenants supplied neighbourhood retail and services. Most stores opened on April 7, 1954, with Morgan's following on April 29. Morgan's operated a large suburban department store at the centre and added a second floor in 1961. A serious fire on April 21, 1969 destroyed the store and caused more than one million Canadian dollars in contemporary reported damage. Morgan's temporarily used a former bowling-alley location connected with the Dorval Theatre before returning to a rebuilt store on March 4, 1970. The department store became The Bay in 1972. The centre's physical format changed during the late 1960s and 1970s. Enclosure work began in 1968, and glass-covered walkways and façades were added during the following decade. The original Steinberg's and The Bay areas retained some separate characteristics. In 1985, a major expansion extended the centre eastward and northward and approximately doubled its store count. The added area included a Pascal hardware store relocated from a nearby strip centre. Pascal's premises became vacant in 1991 and reopened as Zellers in October 1992. Zellers closed on January 22, 2012. Walmart then took over the lease, remodelled the space, and opened in September of that year. The Walmart conversion was separate from Walmart Canada's acquisition of former Target Canada locations. The supermarket anchor also changed over time: Steinberg's became Provigo in 1992, while later reference material identifies Maxi among the centre's anchors. Ivanhoe owned Jardins Dorval for more than 45 years before selling the property in 2001. CentreCorp Management Services Ltd. is identified as the manager. The centre's anchor mix has included Walmart, Hudson's Bay, and Maxi, although the Hudson's Bay store was reported as closing in late 2021. Across its history, Jardins Dorval has remained a local, convenience-oriented shopping centre rather than a regional luxury destination. Its significance lies in its early date, its role in the development of West Island suburban commerce, and its repeated adaptation from an open strip mall to an enclosed centre and then to a modern anchor-led retail property.
- 2012
Walmart replaces Zellers
[1]Walmart took over the former Zellers lease, renovated the premises, and opened in September.
- 2001
Ivanhoe sells the property
[1]After more than 45 years of ownership, Ivanhoe sold Jardins Dorval.
- 1992
Zellers and Provigo transitions
[1]The former Pascal premises reopened as Zellers, while the original Steinberg's supermarket became Provigo.
- 1985
Major expansion completed
[1]The centre expanded into its current general configuration and approximately doubled its store count.
- 1972
Morgan's becomes The Bay
[1]The department-store anchor adopted The Bay identity.
- 1970
Rebuilt department store reopens
[1]Morgan's returned to a rebuilt store after operating temporarily elsewhere on the site.
- 1969
Morgan's destroyed by fire
[1]A major fire destroyed the department store, which temporarily relocated while a replacement building was constructed.
- 1968
Enclosure project begins
[1]The open-air centre began conversion into an enclosed shopping complex.
- 1961
Morgan's adds a second floor
[1]The Morgan's department store expanded vertically, strengthening its role as a major anchor.
- 1954
Jardins Dorval opens
[1]The shopping centre opened as an L-shaped strip mall with 35 stores. Steinberg's and Morgan's were the original principal anchors.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented suburban shopping centre combining grocery and general merchandise anchors with smaller retail and service tenants.
General merchandise anchor · 2012
Walmart
A large-format general merchandise anchor occupying the former Zellers premises. Walmart assumed the lease after Zellers closed in January 2012, remodelled the store, and opened to the public in September 2012. Its assortment is oriented toward everyday household goods, apparel, consumer products, and other general merchandise.
Grocery anchor
Maxi
A discount-oriented grocery anchor serving routine food and household shopping needs. Maxi is identified in reference material as one of the centre's principal anchors and represents the continuing importance of supermarket traffic to the property.
Department store anchor · 1972
Hudson's Bay
The department-store identity associated with the former Morgan's anchor. Morgan's rebuilt its Dorval store after the 1969 fire and the premises adopted The Bay name in 1972. Reference material lists Hudson's Bay as an anchor but notes a planned closure in late 2021.
Supermarket anchor · 1954
Steinberg's and Provigo
The original supermarket anchor was Steinberg's. In 1992, the store changed to the Provigo banner, illustrating the succession of grocery brands at the centre before later anchor changes.
Brand decisions
2012
Conversion of former Zellers premises to WalmartStrategyBackground
Zellers closed its Jardins Dorval store in January 2012, leaving a major anchor space available.
Action taken
Walmart assumed the lease, renovated the premises, and opened a store in September 2012.
Aftermath
The conversion preserved a large-format anchor at the centre. The location was not one of the Zellers stores acquired from Target Canada.
Sources1 sources
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