Asian mall in Toronto

[Shwa]

Interesting news story about a massive new "Asian" mall in Markham, a suburb of Toronto:

Asian mall set to be largest in North America

Toronto Star link to the story

Published On Mon May 17 2010

King Square hopes to be North America's largest Asian mall.

Noor Javed

Staff Reporter

Step aside Pacific Mall. A bigger and more upscale version is making its way to Markham.

The project, King Square, is striving to become North America’s largest Asian mall and will be nearly one million square feet when completed.

The monster mall will be built on a 4.8-hectare empty parcel of land on the northwest corner of Woodbine Ave. and Markland St. and will also include a banquet hall, convention centre, offices and a publicly accessible rooftop garden.

But at the heart of the project will be a mall, with over 1,000 mostly Asian and upscale shopping outlets as well as a grocery store.

“In terms of the square footage, yes, it will be the biggest mall,” said Dundas Kwok, director of sales and marketing for King Square.

Currently, Pacific Mall holds the title for being the largest Asian mall in the GTA. Last year, developers announced plans to revamp the adjacent Market Village to build another mammoth Asian-themed mall, hotel and condo tower.

Kwok says King Square will be different in that shopping will not be the only focus of the project, said Kwok.

“If it’s only a mall, we believe it’s not easy to survive for the individual retailer,” said Kwok. “It’s not like Asia, where there is a large population. During the week, business is very slow,” he said. “So our plan will be for mixed use.

“And our focus is not just the Asian market — we want to expand it to the mainstream market too,” he said.

Rest of the story here

[Jack Weber]

Ah...The inclusive nature of multiculturalism...

Sorry....I forgot...We're a mosaic and not a patchwork of ethnic cliques....

[laila]

Hi guys,,

Nice topic here,

I like this site, Btw I am new here.

Greetings,,,how to deal with depression

[Shakeyhands]

Ah...The inclusive nature of multiculturalism...

Sorry....I forgot...We're a mosaic and not a patchwork of ethnic cliques....

I've shopped at the Pacific Mall, and intend on checking out the new one. There are lots of people of different colour shopping in them. No big deal.

[Bonam]

“And our focus is not just the Asian market — we want to expand it to the mainstream market too,” he said.

Heh what? If it's anything like the areas of Vancouver that have Asian malls, the Asian market IS the mainstream market. Nice for getting stuff really cheap sometimes.

[g_bambino]

There are lots of people of different colour shopping in them. No big deal.

How about working in them?

[Shakeyhands]

How about working in them?

Probably 99% Asian. Much like the Eaton Centre or Fairview or Yorkdale which are 99% white.

[GostHacked]

I am not sure how much it will work in the Toronto Area, there is a big enough Asian population there, but it would work without a doubt in B.C., Vancouver has gotta be over 60% Asian.

[bill_barilko]

The Vancouver suburb of Richmond has a number of so-called Asian malls-it's hard for me to imagine less interesting places.

[g_bambino]

Probably 99% Asian. Much like the Eaton Centre or Fairview or Yorkdale which are 99% white.

I don't know about Fairview, but you clearly haven't been in the Eaton Centre for about 20 years if you think the employees are 99% of European descent.

[GostHacked]

The Vancouver suburb of Richmond has a number of so-called Asian malls-it's hard for me to imagine less interesting places.

Also, Vancouver seems to have the highest concentration of Nail Bars (beauty salons) I've seen. On average it seems that you are within spitting distance of 3-4 nail bars at any given time! Ok slight exaggeration.

[bill_barilko]

Also, Vancouver seems to have the highest concentration of Nail Bars (beauty salons) I've seen. On average it seems that you are within spitting distance of 3-4 nail bars at any given time! Ok slight exaggeration.

Yes they are thick on the ground-them and Sushi joints.

[guyser]

I am not sure how much it will work in the Toronto Area, there is a big enough Asian population there, but it would work without a doubt in B.C., Vancouver has gotta be over 60% Asian.

Relatively close in demographics re South East Asian and Chinese.

It will work here and likely do well.

[Wild Bill]

I am not sure how much it will work in the Toronto Area, there is a big enough Asian population there, but it would work without a doubt in B.C., Vancouver has gotta be over 60% Asian.

Vancouver over 60% Asian? Maybe, but I'll bet most of them have been here since MacDonald built the TransCanada Railroad! They are likely of a longer Canadian heritage than 80% of the Asians in Toronto.

[wyly]

Vancouver over 60% Asian? Maybe, but I'll bet most of them have been here since MacDonald built the TransCanada Railroad! They are likely of a longer Canadian heritage than 80% of the Asians in Toronto.

a simple web search comes up with 27% south east asians for Vancouver...and most of them are as Canadian as everyone else... Edited October 12, 2010 by wyly

[bill_barilko]

Vancouver over 60% Asian? Maybe, but I'll bet most of them have been here since MacDonald built the TransCanada Railroad! They are likely of a longer Canadian heritage than 80% of the Asians in Toronto.

Can't remember when I've read anything dumber on this board-it's painfully apparent that WB hasn't been near Vancouver in this century.

[Bonam]

a simple web search comes up with 27% south east asians for Vancouver...and most of them are as Canadian as everyone else...

28% south east Asian and east Asian, yes. Then add the 10% south Asian and 2% west Asian and you get 40%. And that's Vancouver itself, look at some of the surrounding cities, like Richmond, where it really is 60% Asians.

I'm pretty sure the Vancouver metropolitan area actually has the highest Asian percentage of any major metropolitan area in the Western world.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. Most Asians are pretty civilized.

[GostHacked]

28% south east Asian and east Asian, yes. Then add the 10% south Asian and 2% west Asian and you get 40%. And that's Vancouver itself, look at some of the surrounding cities, like Richmond, where it really is 60% Asians.

I'm pretty sure the Vancouver metropolitan area actually has the highest Asian percentage of any major metropolitan area in the Western world.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. Most Asians are pretty civilized.

Vancouver is an amazing city, but damn is it expensive to live there. I though beer in Ontario was getting pricey. Even if they were born here in Canada , a good deal of them are of Asian descent. So they maybe Canadian, but you feel like you are not in Canada.

The Rockies are amazing to see up close.

[Wild Bill]

Vancouver is an amazing city, but damn is it expensive to live there. I though beer in Ontario was getting pricey. Even if they were born here in Canada , a good deal of them are of Asian descent. So they maybe Canadian, but you feel like you are not in Canada.

Funny, it's not obvious visible minority faces that make me feel that way. It's accents and dress that do it!

I guess it comes from being an old hippy. If a hippy met another hippy-looking person on the street he was instantly comfortable with him.

Obvious foreign dress and heavily accented English (or no English at all!) make me feel like I'm no longer in Canada.

Sometimes I don't mind, such as an October Fest party! The waitresses wear those odd dresses, holding up those "things", like the "things" Dr. Tongue showed us in "3D House of Stewardesses" on SCTV years ago. They may be foreign but damn, they look comfortable!

[bill_barilko]

Lotta honkies on this forum.....

[nicky10013]

I don't know about Fairview, but you clearly haven't been in the Eaton Centre for about 20 years if you think the employees are 99% of European descent.

Fairview is in a fairly Asian area. I drive down regularly as they have free parking for don mills station on weekdays.

[mikedavid00]

I've shopped at the Pacific Mall, and intend on checking out the new one. There are lots of people of different colour shopping in them. No big deal.

Oh stop it.

I've been there many times and it is rare to see a non Asian there and impossible to hear English being spoken. Stop spreading mistruthes to people. I challenge anyone to look online or on Youtube at pics or video of inside the mall and you tell me there are multi ethnic people walking around - it simply isn't true.

The goods sold are of little interest to anyone. The stores or cheap and small. Ugly plastic handbags, pirated movies, import fake jewlery at high prices that you can get at Ardene for WAY cheaper.. SMAAAL stores. Haggling for prices. Cash only tax evasion. Cel phone covers.

I had a friend who claimed Asians didn't help Canada at all because they simply evade taxes. Go to that mall there's no such thing as tax.

The new mall will be more of the same cheap stores with products of interest to no one.

[mikedavid00]

Probably 99% Asian. Much like the Eaton Centre or Fairview or Yorkdale which are 99% white.

Again more falswhoods being spread.

I have been to all malls and you will find at LEAST 50% of these malls staffed with minorities. This is Toronto we're talking about here and I dont think anyone here on the forum is that much in a bubble that they would actually believe there are 99% white workers anywhere here.

[mikedavid00]

Lotta honkies on this forum.....

Why is that?

We obviously are not representative of this country so please tell me why we aren't getting participation from everyone else?

Why don't they come on here and talk about politics and such?

Just curious.

(and yes I know what the answer from the far left is going to be).

[Evening Star]

How do you know the skin colour or ethnicity of the forum participants, mikedavid00?