Last day for Sears in Peterborough, nationwide

Sears Canada’s remaining stores closed their doors for good Sunday.

This included Peterborough’s Sears store, at Lansdowne Place. The store opened in 1954 - before the mall was built - and closes Sunday at 6 p.m.

The longtime staple of Canada’s retail landscape declared bankruptcy last year and announced in the fall that it would liquidate its remaining stores and lay off thousands of employees.

Sales began in October, and only a few of the retailer’s locations across Canada remained open to the bitter end.

The Peterborough store was picked clean over the last week, with a scattering of deeply discounted items remaining Sunday.

The chain’s closure sparked a number of controversies.

Sears Canada planned to dole out millions of dollars in retention bonuses to head office staff while grappling with a more than $260-million shortfall in its pension plan.

The company originally wanted to pay a total $7.6 million to 43 top employees, but revised that to a total of $6.5 million to 36 employees after a backlash.

An Ontario judge approved the reduction, but some employees argued it was still too much money given the company was also facing a 19 per cent pension plan funding shortfall, meaning employees would likely see a similar cut to their benefits.

And a plan by executive chairman Brandon Stranzl that would see the company continue to operate was rebuffed in favour of liquidation, prompting further questions about whose interests were being prioritized.

Sears Canada’s closure follows in the footsteps of other once-powerful retailers including Target and Zellers.