All I need is money and the rest would be history! Am I right everyone? How many of you feel that if the latest 50 million Lotto Max were your numbers, you would be shopping it up at Yorkdale? You’d probably even get valet parking. I don’t blame you. Do your thing! I, for one, would take a trip to an exotic place and lay low until things calm down, and I have a better idea of what to do with the money.
Bringing myself back to reality though, I have a list of the 5 best places to shop in Canada, according to Reader’s Digest:
1.Yorkville, Toronto
A quiet neighbourhood of small streets sheltered from the overall noise and hubbub of downtown Toronto, Yorkville is arguably Canada’s poshest shopping district-store rent tops $300 per square foot, and those little streets are home to some of the biggest names in fashion and design, including Burberry, Prada, Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. (not to mention dealerships for Rolls Royce and Maserati). Bring a credit card-or three.
2. West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Alberta
Although the “West Ed” relinquished title of the world’s largest mall back in 2004, this place is still a must-visit spot for serious shoppers, with some 800 stores and services spread across six million square feet of commercial space. It’s also a great place for those who are serious about partying, with a full-blown amusement park that includes the world’s tallest and longest indoor roller coasters, a five-acre water park, an ice palace, mini golf and lots of other fun attractions.
3. Byward Market, Ottawa
Just steps from the Parliament Buildings in our nation’s capital, ByWard is one of the oldest and largest farmers markets in Canada-but it’s much more than that. Attracting as many as 50,000 shoppers on warm summer weekends, vendors line the streets around the main market building, selling everything from flowers to jewelry to Beaver Tails, while the area is also home to Canada’s oldest tavern, Ottawa’s oldest church, more than 100 restaurants, and the National Gallery of Canada.
4. The Forks, Winnipeg, Manitoba
This spot at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers has served as a traditional place of commerce for Aboriginal populations for more than six millennia and, in colonial times, brought together hunters, merchants and traders, so it seems rather appropriate that it now hosts millions of fashionable Winnipeggers and visitors from across the country. Home to promenades and riverwalks, theatres, galleries and several top-drawer restaurants, you may (understandably) get distracted from all the shopping available at its impressive indoor marketplace.
5. Pacific Mall, Markham, Ontario
If you’re looking for authentic, East Asian delicacies and wares-but want to avoid the 12-hour flight-there’s no better place to visit than the Pacific Mall, in the suburban Toronto city of Markham. The largest indoor Asian mall in North America, the Pacific houses over 450 vendors, offering everything from herbs and flowers to Asian fashion, in a giant space modeled on traditional markets of the Pacific Rim.
I’ve been to three out of the top five top places to shop, and needless to say, the experts are right. You can find “posh” shopping and lifestyle in Yorkville, eat the best Beavertails at the Byward, and find the best deals at Pacific mall. Being a Canadian, I could see how the shopping locations make me seem biased, but I promise to be fair and make lists of the best places to shop all over the world! Until then, you can start with this list and go crazy! Happy Monday everyone!
The Design Diaries 