Gordon Head Canadian Tire moving into Hillside Centre
Automotive garage to remain operating
The Canadian Tire at Gordon Head is closing its retail section as the company prepares to open its new Hillside Shopping Centre location this fall.
While the Gordon Head store will close Sept. 17, the automotive service centre will remain operating — and possibly expand — at 3993 Cedar Hill Rd., next to University Heights Shopping Centre.
Canadian Tire spokeswoman Stephanie Nadalin confirmed the move to Hillside in a statement, but did not offer any details of future plans for the Gordon Head automotive section.
The Gordon Head location has been open for about 33 years, but is cramped with just 12,000 square feet of retail space.
A specific opening date for the new Canadian Tire store has not been announced for Hillside Centre, but some staff indicated it would be in November. It will become the largest of the region’s five Canadian Tire locations.
Construction workers have been working inside the 150,000-square-foot Hillside space for several months. The two-floor layout was cleared out after U.S.-based Target shut down all 133 Canadian stores in 2014 after admitting its foray north was a financial flop.
Canadian Tire is making the moves as home improvement heavyweight Lowe’s arrives in the local market. The U.S. giant is spending $3 million to remodel the other former Target store in Greater Victoria, at Tillicum shopping centre. It is expected to open this fall.
Erin Vanbergen, store manager for the Gordon Head Canadian Tire, expects six staff will relocate to the Hillside store. She is moving to Port Alberni, where she has a job at Canadian Tire in the Island community.
Some of the 35 full- and parttime staff will work in other Canadian Tires stores while others are returning to school.
Hillside is “going to be a beautiful store,” Vanbergen said. “It is an awesome location.”
Vanbergen, who started working at the Gordon Head store 17 years ago as a teenager, chatted with shoppers about their families while operating a checkout counter.
“We have a lot of regular customers,” she said. “I will miss them.”
The Gordon Head store’s longtime staff clearly have a strong connection to customers and fellow workers. Staff have signed a closing notice posted on the exit door. Some of the farewells included: “Awesome things come in small packages!”
“Small store, but with a big heart. Haven’t seen a greater store so far. Will miss it.”
Another praised co-workers and managers, calling them the “best.”
Other Canadian Tire locations in Greater Victoria include Douglas Street, Admirals Road, Broadmead Village Shopping Centre and Westshore Town Centre.