New Horizon - What Happened to Calgary’s $200 million Dead Mall

The New Horizon Mall just outside Calgary, Alberta, was supposed to be a revolutionary concept in retail business ownership. But four years after it opened, the vast majority of its more than 500 storefronts are empty. This brand new dead mall was never alive to begin with. So, what happened?
#abandoned #deadmall #yyc #alberta #retail #shopping
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Media Sources:
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[@MonsterKidCory]

2:29 Sweet, that's MY store! I have to say that videos like this do no favours for anyone. Portraying the mall as dead and creepy instead of showing what actually IS here - like the multiple isles that ARE full - builds on the narrative of it being dead at the expense of everyone who actually operates a store here. It might appeal to certain people with a morbid fascination in empty spaces, but it might help us out a bit more to come on a weekend and show the collector toy store, the board game store, the Japanese vintage and import video game store, the guy that paints Heavy Metal t-shirts, the British food shop, the card and model shop behind mine, my shop, the soap store across from me, and all those places you DIDN'T show.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment and for your feedback. There are some other commenters who have said some of the same things as you have here. I would be extremely interested in doing another video on exactly what you have said - maybe coming on a weekend and talking to some of the vendors. Would you be interested in participating as an interview subject? No pressure at all, but drop me a reply here and hopefully we can set something up.

[@MonsterKidCory]

@@ProklaimYYC Happily! Ironically I'm not open this coming weekend due to other engagements, but my typical store hours are Thursday and Sunday 1-6 and Friday/Saturday 11-6. Feel free to swing by!

[@ProklaimYYC]

Very gracious of you, thanks. I’ll look forward to stopping by in the next week or two.

[@Grammarless]

It is dead lol, handful of stores in there and a majority typically closed. I’ve visited quite a few times in the last couple of years

[@BONGONDORForthewin]

Yeah ive been there and live in chestermere it’s full with a nice food court and lot’s of people that are there also very interesting stores

[@albertatundra]

This mall is a huge success ... for the developers. They took the money and ran with it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The developers no longer seem to have a skin in the game, which is a very different dynamic from the traditional mall business model.

[@SeanEpoc]

@@dankelly5150 cross iron mills next door is huge and the parkinglot full every day of the week

[@garystrankman3841]

A Ponzi scheme or something like it.

[@samizdatbroadcasts7654]

Not unusual for that neck of the woods. Developers in Calgary might as well be issued a crown and sceptre. Too bad. I've been to a mall like this in Toronto and kinda liked it.

[@dallassegno]

depreciation is a form of value

[@tdawg4756]

Okay, I’m being 100% serious here…. I’ve lived in Calgary for 11 years now. And this is seriously the 1st time I can remember hearing about this mall.

[@c.aleb6]

I heard about it but to this day I never went. Who tf wants to go all the way down by Cross iron to see nothing 😂

[@ProklaimYYC]

There are a lot of comments here that local residents didn't even know this mall existed. It seems there was a failure somewhere in the marketing plan.

[@Chasingcheque]

You’ve been under a rock

[@mezzyvt701]

U live under a rock lol

[@tdawg4756]

@@mezzyvt701 haha.

[@GEKay-xt2cq]

Most spots were purchased by rich foreigners looking to stash their money outside their home countries. They didn't care about renting space out. And the appeal was owning your space. If you just rented, why not rent at Cross Iron, Chinook, etc.? It's a failure as a mall, but successful at laundering money for Chinese billionaires.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I wasn’t able to find any hard numbers on who owns the units. But from what I could determine, those listed for sale and for lease seem to be owned by local individuals. In the mall, however, the majority of the empty units don’t have any for sale or for lease signs up. It does raise questions as to what those owners’ plans are for their units.

[@shanemathews4177]

100

[@zigarten]

@@ProklaimYYC Speculation may have been part of it, I remember the prices were being asked in the beginning by 3rd parties were stupid. I'm sure many incurred heavy losses.

[@harrys5925]

Some of the owners might be foreigners but a lot of them are local investors and normal everyday people who wanted to open up their own mom and pop stores

[@weili42]

You have no idea. Chinese billionaires won’t look at calgary. This is more like money laundering for Canadian weed growers

[@FROMdaHOOD15]

I live about 10 minutes from this mall and always assumed it was strange that someone would open a mall right next Cross Iron. Told my wife that it was likely some sort of fraudulent activity. funny to see I wasn't very far off.

[@robertpalmer7444]

I was looking at opening up an outlet here -- once I realized that property developers and speculators purchased most of the stalls i knew the mall would fail. the only way this type of small shop mall works is if the small stalls are owned by individual shop owners who have a vested interest in being there every day. This was a failure of the developers who took the easy way out by selling to speculators.

[@ianicus123]

It had nothing to do with shoppers not coming, all you have to do is look next door at cross iron to see retail activity is still very high in Calgary. The problem was many and or most of the units were bought by speculators, who turned around and tried to turn a profit on rent. Only problem was they took away a huge part of the incentive of opening up there, and cheaper commercial space was available IN town. Demand never developed from a store operator standpoint, and here we all. There should have been contract items in the purchase agreement that the space was going to be owner occupied and at LEAST a business plan presented, provided it wasn't a larger known entity. The sales people are what killed this mall.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I remember Calgary in 2013 and everyone had money, and everyone was looking to invest. The atmosphere was intoxicating - everyone though the good times would go on forever. The sales people probably had a pretty easy time selling.

[@MrTobytherat]

@@ProklaimYYC I think it's that optimism that it's going to be a success with many factors that support that optimism that make it easy to sell. Completion of Stoney North, 100k+ people living in communities off country hills BLVD, the good economy, heck even proximity to Airdre!! But even with all that, i think what killed it was the emptiness of the mall. I went to the mall earlier in the year and would not go again. Nothing for me there.

[@CanCobb]

That doesn't make a ton of sense. The shoppers are not there, they are across the "street," aka 500m as a pedestrian and a very inconvenient drive away. Anchor stores attract people into malls, and New Horizon has no anchor stores. Being across the street from a major mall works if you have a brand. New Horizon Mall has no brand, and there's no reason to turn right when everything you need is on the left.

[@ianicus123]

@@CanCobb if you knew anything about the area, it might make more sense to you, I don't know how else to explain it to you, access is fine, it's literally across an intersection, can from cross iron, the malls are already well outside of people's regular travel patterns, so it's a captive audience, they simply had no stores and the perception of a ghost mall.

[@CanCobb]

@@ianicus123 Oh I know it super well. To get out of the New Horizon Mall and get back on the highway, one makes no less than 3 left turns at lights that take more than a minute each. Furthermore, that is only to go south on Deerfoot/QEII. If you want to go north, then you must go past all 5 stoplights for the CrossIron Mills Mall area. And it is completely inaccessible for pedestrians.

[@DarkPaladin2004]

I'm a frequent patron of New Horizon because of Bento Gaming. The interesting thing I've noticed because of that is that stores you'd typically only see at Calgary Comic Expo or Otafest are actually thriving and expanding in New Horizon. A good example of that being Bento Games which now has two stalls for the store and one for card tournaments and the local Gundam model community to meetup. I don't know if it's the be all end all solution to the occupant problem, but I think getting more of these niche stores into New Horizon might be the fix for encouraging growth. I wouldn't be surprised to see a comic shop open up there in the near future.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I think that stores like Bento were supposed to be the backbone of the mall. People would make the trip to visit those unique retailers. The issue might have been that in the years it took to build the mall, online shopping really took off and you could essentially get whatever you wanted without leaving your house.

[@bruhsanto8836]

old video lol, i've been there tons of times. I even get my massages there lol.this place is packed lol

[@craigjones7343]

@@bruhsanto8836 packed? Are you drunk? Maybe 30% of stalls have anything in them.

[@P0rtalgate]

@@craigjones7343 today it was honestly super busy, I was only there for bento gaming and the war hammer store. It looks it might be on the turn around just maybe

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

I was thinking of opening up my hobby store there, but I only heard stories about how NH is failing. Nice to hear something is happening there.

[@fronts3165]

It always seemed like a scam or money laundering scheme. Isn’t the first principal of retail success: location, location, location. I actually couldn’t believe it when I first heard about this project, given that Cross Iron Mills was already there and CMI never actually seemed all that busy the few times I was willing to drive up there only to look around Bass Pro Shop. It’s just another stupid mall, too far for most people and empty to boot. I feel bad for the folks who bet their life savings on it.

[@kkate25]

You took the works out my mouth. I never been there didn’t even know it existed I been in Calgary for ten year yet, I only been there like 3 or 4 times. It is not easy getting there in public transit. And for what I see in this horizon mall it looks narrowed and boxy. To bad.

[@derricklafrance9440]

Probably crooked dealings yes. Has to be.

[@matf4505]

Could be land banking. Buy some retail just outside of city and wait for city limits to expand around you. Then you sell for big $$$$$

[@prairietan]

That's exactly what it is. Money washing, and a tactical location right beside the airport for chemical warfare under the ccp

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

@@matf4505 you're going to be waiting for awhile. stolen money maybe. or laundered. or both.

[@TheCultureWar]

I told my sister in the U.S. about this mall, it was hard to describe just how hauntingly abandoned it is. Now I have this video to share with her. I have personally been there only one time and it was probably the last time I really want to go there. The general description in this video is extremely accurate, in my humble opinion. Its a fine place to go for a laugh at the hubris and lack of foresight by the developers, but little else.

[@skutahuniai4830]

The developers did not lack foresight. In fact, I think they were extremely wise. If they were the owners and operators, then yes, they have a massive problem. But they are not! They built the actual building and then SOLD the storefronts. They have their money(presold) and couldn't care less what happens to it. Same thing as residential condos. The developer builds them and then sells them. If you lose your job and can't pay for it, that's between you and your bank. The developer has nothing to do with the matter and is long gone with your money!

[@gtanutz774]

Greed destroyed it. It was supposed to model the one in Ontario. but they sold to realtors and investors instead of store owners. Sad

[@ProklaimYYC]

I thing you're right that ideally it would have been sold to retailers. But from the developer's point of view, a sale is a sale.

[@sharon4364]

Too bad it can't be turned into a medical facility/seniors living facility. Add a few stores and dining/coffee shops for them. Convert part of it into a kind of courtyard that resembles outdoors. Add a fitness spot and a few activity areas. Think of the great indoor walking opportunity. Pity our country or a private company would not take on that project.

[@chrismair8161]

I think it should be. That is a Big Chunk of nothing.

[@brandonmacdonald7802]

Its not that easy. Each unit is privately owned. It's not some big corporate entity that can take a buy out. Every owner would have to agree to a sale and most people are just normal folk like you or me who would be taking massive losses on their investments.

[@lordjungalee]

I like your idea. Me I was thinking of all that ice space, and how many hockey rinks would fit in there

[@chrismair8161]

@@lordjungalee 5 pads. Kids and Laughter. I'll make some Coffee!

[@ladyjade6446]

You want to pay even more tax?

[@ArtofLuba]

This reminds me of Art Central (Jubilee Block) in Downtown Calgary. The owner was the landlord, so we didn't own the units, but the churn was high, the rent was high, and people were taken advantage of during a time when lease space availability in Calgary was at an all-time low. Not to mention that artists are easily taken advantage of because we are always looking for opportunities to show our work and/or open little businesses. Excellent public access with the train just next door but bad parking. Management was a nightmare to deal with. Lease rates were outrageous. They were billing some of us for utilities which weren't even metered yet they claimed there was metering. When we moved out, they tried collecting "metered utilities" from the deposit rather than giving us any money back even though the space was cleaned and painted professionally. Half the tenants were behind on rent for years and the rest of us were paying. Favoritism was rampant with some of the tenants paying less than others or not at all. No customers, people walked through the +15 from office to the train without stopping. There are plenty of landlords who take advantage of people in Calgary... Art Central (Jubilee Block) is now the Telus Sky tower.

[@donaldbest1295]

Great story and presentation with upscale production values for an independent journalist. Loved your description “The empty halls feel like they are haunted by ghosts of dreams that died with the mall’s failure… Every ‘For Lease’ sign is the tombstone of an investor who thought this would be a good place to park their money.” Looking forward to seeing more from you. Are you on any other social media, twitter, facebook etc.? Cheers from Barrie, Ontario.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thank you very much for the kind words! I spent a lot of time near Barrie when I was growing up before we moved out west - we had a cottage there. I have another video coming up in the next few days in a much more serious topic. I hope you’ll enjoy it! I haven’t been a practising journalist in more than 10 years, so this video was me shaking the rust off and trying to get back in to it a little bit. Again, I’m very glad you enjoyed the video and hope you’ll continue to enjoy my future content.

[@MonsterKidCory]

Except it's also grossly misrepresenting the mall. If you know it, he conspicuously avoided the full isles, busy stores, and the parking lot on the north side of the building where everyone actually parks. It's an interesting exercise in how even independent journalists present a narrative.

[@Nolegu]

Years ago I went to China and went into a few malls there and they seem to have a very warehouse-like or barn-like design, when I was visiting my cousin in Calgary we went to Cross Iron Mills then we wanted to check this place out after out of curiosity and immediately I got this Chinese mall vibe from this place. This place stinks of a money laundering scheme for some very rich people and the 1-2 stores being in there to keep it going.

[@Michelala]

Pacific mall in Markham (on the Toronto border), the one that inspired this mall is exactly the same. It’s super sketchy. It was even named one of the biggest selling locations of counterfeit and pirated products in the world by a US authority, I forget which one. The cops have raided it sooooo many times it doesn’t even make the news anymore.

[@jackl135]

Same thing in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond B.C., a lot of the stores in there with high def security cameras and code pads, all the exterior were covered up and you have no clue of what’s happening in there.

[@Nolegu]

@@jackl135 I've seen the place when I stayed at the Radisson across the street.

[@lauriepenner350]

@@jackl135 That is a weird-ass mall. The one side is fun and hopping with big anchor tenants and restaurants, but the other building is as empty as New Horizon, which is really weird because the train station connects to the dead side of the building. You have to walk through there to get to the "good" mall, but all that foot traffic doesn't seem to improve business at all.

[@tomrogers9467]

This mall reminds me exactly of a similar disaster in Toronto, “Improve Canada”. A home improvement centre with miles of empty glass cubicles, and the ones that were occupied were appointment only. Similar condo style ownership. Still seems to be in business though. Both these places smell like a laundromat for dirty money.

[@imisstoronto3121]

I'm from Toronto and I can tell you why it didn't succeed. Lack of population. The one in Toronto is in an area that is largely Chinese, plus the population of the GTA alone is more than the entire population of Alberta.

[@Busker_3000]

I agree going into that mall is a unique experience. That playground on the top floor is kind of impressive, even with it's critical flaws.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The play area had a bunch of customers the day I was there. Obviously I wasn't going to film the play area, but it didn't seem that anyone was sticking around to shop after their kids finished their play time.

[@mapofthesoultagme7143]

I want to go there but I am 22 and my parents wouldn't let me

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

Thank you for posting this video. I own a hobby shop in High River and I was thinking for years to open a store in NH, but it always seemed like such a failure. Interesting that it's still so empty now.

[@MarkRose1337]

If you sell stuff that people will make a drive for it may not be a bad place to have a shop. My last visit there I went to see a specific store, but it was closed. It does have the advantage of being easy to get to by car from the north end of town or the surrounding cities. Expect no foot traffic though.

[@brianlacroix822]

If your rent is $300 a month and you have customers on the north side why not open one day a week for 4-6 hours? Or one weekend day and one weekday night? The mall is very niche--people don't just go there to walkabout they go there because there is a business that they will follow is there. And if you ship your products to the USA+INT, DYK post is in the building which saves you and your non-Canadian customer HUGE amounts on shipping. If you ship your products and you have a loyal customer base, do it!!! your rent for 2 years is $7200!!!

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

@@brianlacroix822 Sounds good if you can guarantee the rent is $300

[@MonsterKidCory]

@@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage $300 would be around the average rent for one of the 146sq.ft. units. I pay $500 for a 292sq.ft. unit, which is on the lower end for those. The 437sq.ft. units tend to go more for $800-$1000.

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

@@MonsterKidCory Seems like small units. i was looking for 750 Sq feet...but anyway...I am in High River Ab. I should plan a trip up to NH Mall and see you.

[@davemillard411]

Very well presented piece! Kudos! Great investigative work and final edit! Keep up the great work!

[@JIGgameoverSAW]

I've been there for like 20 minutes. (In June 2022) I wanted to leave right away honestly, the vibe was so weird/dead there. Exactly what you saw in the video. I really recommend visiting the Cross Iron Mills mall, it is like a 8 min walk from the New Horizon mall :)

[@Classicrocker6119]

Trying to locate the washroom was insane!

[@ProklaimYYC]

That was actually my first stop. I had to walk across the whole mall then up some escalators. They are in a strange location and I could only find one set of washrooms and I walked around for an hour or so.

[@zigarten]

@@ProklaimYYC Parkade was the other one I believe. Went to the motorcycle show last winter (?) and it was ground level

[@Roycebert]

Right?? I live 5 minutes from this mall in Airdrie, so it wasn't a hassle for me to check it out, and as empty as this mall is, it was still riddles to try and find a place to take a leak.

[@tazz4766]

There’s so much they could do with this space and yet it stays empty 4 years later and no one seems to be trying to change it. The price was stupidly expensive from the get-go that didn’t help!

[@tempestmkiv]

I always wondered what that building was as I drove by... no idea it was a shopping mall!

[@benfrancois2924]

Great video, I live very close and work at the Lowes right next to it. The most popular I've seen New Horizon is through its parking lot funnily enough. Every Wednesday night over the summer there's a car show and it gets very packed. The last one of the year was just a few weeks back and the place was full. The inside of the mall? That's a different story haha.

[@NatureXwars]

The interior & exterior of the building looks like it should be a recreational/fitness center (like Talisman or Village Square Leisure Centers), offering physical joy in contrast to Cross Iron Mills' more relaxed nature next door; complimenting the area as a bigger hub for people to gather to have fun instead of hopelessly competing against the established mall.

[@rokulus7910]

Demographics are a factor too. Pacific Mall is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people of Asian descent, which matters for an Asian style mall. And not only does it have bus stops nearby, but also a train station across the street.

[@romanmichaelhamilton8729]

So is China taking over all of Western Canada???

[@rokulus7910]

@@romanmichaelhamilton8729 No.

[@Mightyfish_]

I really wanted this store to pop off but it never did. It's very sad. I really do hope some day in the future, it will be a lively location.

[@ProklaimYYC]

It has potential, no question. I'm just not sure what would draw crowds. If it were lively and there were a lot of interesting shops it would be a very cool destination.

[@kelvinlee8188]

Wow, the store sizes, tiling, decoration are like a tad bit above Pacific Mall in Toronto. 20 years later, Pacific mall floor tiles are all busted, ceiling dripping with water stains and dead full of nail salons, even the ceiling frame work is down to the bone basic like New Horizon mall.

[@Bryan46162]

New Horizons is a perfect example of everyone wanting to be the landlord and nobody wanting to be the worker.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Speculation on the value of the units is one of the main theories on why the mall hasn't experienced much success so far. It would appear that a number of the investors are now trying their best to rent or sell their units.

[@McBain403]

I prepared drawings for a few of the units and trying to get things approved through the micromanagement of the mall developers was brutal. The rules constantly changed and anything was just up to the whim of a dude named Mel. Was the worst experience I had with a developer in more than 10 years of architecture and design.

[@dankelly5150]

They should just convert it into a wear house! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PrinceHeru]

I remember this, been in it. Its got like, 10, maybe 12 stores. Its literally the deadest mall on the planet, and coming from one of the riches cities. Its surprising.

[@codypalm]

when i was a teen in Central Minnesota i was biking with 4 or 5 friends and we came across an abandoned new horizons daycare center and it still gives me and some of the friends nightmares, there were old dolls and creepy stuff just solidified in time.

[@crochet7322]

usually a new mall offer free rent or at least 6months free or until over 80% unit is rented out and opened. this is why one managment is important. it fails because they are individuals owner.

[@fueledbyfumes8016]

I visit crossiron mills once in awhile and have seen the new horizon mall but I didn’t even know what the building was.

[@ProklaimYYC]

There’s no question that the marketing - if there was any to begin with - was a colossal failure. To be fair, however, when you open a giant mall with only nine stores, what are you going to market to potential shoppers?

[@lauriepenner350]

I finally made it to this place on the weekend, and you are spot on. It's a real shame because if done properly, this concept could work great for small businesses just getting their feet wet, or ones catering to a very small or specific clientele (ethnic foods and clothing, for example). I find this style of shopping way more exciting than a big mall with all the same chain stores as every other mall in town. There are a few fun and quirky little businesses at NH, but a lot more wasted space, and wasted potential.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The theory of the mall is sound but the reality is very different. Many people blame the investors for the difference between the ideal and the reality.

[@scottdiamond7133]

Great video, I've driven by it for years, but have never been inside.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks for watching!

[@thisspacenotforrent]

Pacific Mall works in Toronto (actually it is in Markham on the border of Toronto) as you can get just about anything and everything illegal you want there (counter-fit everything...) ...it is in the middle of a bunch of middle class neighbourhoods, and it caters to the SE Asian community who heavily populate the residential areas around the mall. The stores there offer a lot of items you cannot get at other places in the NE Toronto area (for the most part)...when I use to visit the mall 10 to 20 years ago, I use to go as there were a few food places both in the mall and in the adjoining plaza that were so unique and so good (Mongolian Grill for instance (now closed) had amazing, tasty food and a very unique cooking experience)...I actually use to drive out of my way to go there as it was somewhat close to a major highway (a few kms south of the 407 - also a few kms north of the 401 though 401 is more a perpetual construction parking lot than hwy...)...New Horizons has NO residential around it, nothing to draw people to the mall from Calgary...it really needs some unique food places for people to start showing up IMO for starters...

[@ProklaimYYC]

The location of New Horizon couldn’t be more different then Pacific Mall. I’m not sure even unique food offerings would drive more traffic. The food scene in Calgary has been very hot the last few years, but people tend to go downtown, not out of town, to eat out.

[@beginnerplox]

@@ProklaimYYC Pacific mall isnt even doing that well anymore tbh. It's a glorified cellphone case mall with multiple store fronts owned by one guy.

[@MarkRose1337]

@@ProklaimYYC I agree. The only kind of restaurant that would work there is something catering to shoppers who are already there or people who work in the area. If you're going out of your way to a restaurant, you want something more than a food court experience.

[@tomrogers9467]

@@beginnerplox but it’s a good place to buy a $100 Lois Vuitton purse, or a $75 Canada Goose coat! Can you say “counterfeit”! Police must be paid off not to raid the place.

[@wiegraf9009]

@@ProklaimYYC The food scene in Calgary is still pretty sad. If we could get an Asian style hawker center somewhere in town that would be awesome.

[@LPL1221]

They should somehow turn this into a mixture of residential and commercial space instead. Some malls in the states have done it and it’s actually cool.

[@alexb.3065]

I drive there similarly for Bento Gaming and the occasional surprises from the Chinese knicknack store in the basement. I walked around for a good 2 hours to find that most of these are still empty. It's a very nice space though so... any ideas on how to reclaim it perhaps starting wtih new management and a proper business plan?

[@VanCityKicks]

Same as Aberdeen Square & Landowne Mall in Richmond BC... some small stores and rest are empty units.

[@kevintennant7701]

I went to this mall about 2 years ago when there was one store open. My initial thought was how boring this mall is. Even the interior of the CrossIron Mall is slightly less boring, but the differnce is the Cross Iron Mall has open shops. Also, the Horizon mall gives off a small vendor rip off vibe. The same kind of feeling I get with a used car salesman or a rigged game setup like they have at the stampede. My other thought when seeing the size of the shops was how anyone could fit anything larger than a candy stand in there was beyond me. If you sold anything larger than candy bars, where would you fit a cash register, cleaning supplies, storage or sale merchandise racks? Doomed from the start. Even Farmers market vendors have more individual sales space. Too small and too cold looking. The only thing that might save this place is gutting it and turning it into an indoor amusement park like the WEM has.

[@SilverPaladin]

As soon as I saw that the mall had no troubles selling multiple store fronts to investors who wished to turn around and lease the units at a much higher price, I knew the mall would not succeed. If they had wanted success, they would have stipulated that the buyer must have a business occupying the space within 60 days of purchase. No business? you forfeit your space.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I suspect the developers couldn’t have cared less whether the stores got filled as long as they all got sold.

[@user-lw3bw7hg9h]

@@ProklaimYYC Dear Proklaim I am a beginner in learning English，could you please explain that this world is you suppose the developers were care more or less about the occupant please 。thank you！

[@brucefreadrich1188]

@@user-lw3bw7hg9h Hi! former ESL teacher here. "Could not care less" is a common idiom to indicate that something is considered trivial, beneath notice, or even contemptable. eg: The kids couldn't care less if we have hamburgers or pizza for dinner. They like both. I couldn't care less about going to my wife's cousin's wedding in Winnipeg. Most sane people couldn't care less about Joe Rogan's vaccination opinions. In this sense the property developer had no interest is the success or failure of the businesses in the mall once all the units were sold. They have already been paid.

[@user-lw3bw7hg9h]

@@brucefreadrich1188 😄So……appreciate your help！ You have no idea I spent almost half an hour focusing on this sentence🤣.I thought that it might be the subjunctive for it has“could have done”.Though I know the developer do not care about the situation of the mall I just could not figure out what the sentence express it like that way…And since you mention winnipeg I also in the Winnipeg😁. Thank you so much for being so supportive andwarm-hearted！ Best wishes Ying

[@brucefreadrich1188]

@@user-lw3bw7hg9h Aaah thanks. Glad I could help. Every time I do a good deed I have to do something evil to bring the cosmos back into order - So say out loud: "Harry and Larry are in the library in order to repair the water purifier" 😁👅😛😜😝 There… my work is done.

[@davemilligan1171]

You did an amazing job on this vid.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thank you so much!

[@withthesetwohands]

Every time I've been to this mall, none of the stores are even open. This was even true around Halloween time when Haunted Calgary was bringing larger groups of people to the mall. As you mentioned in the video, "the sense of defeat is palpable".

[@misterslats]

Turn it into a hospital to relieve some of the pressure on the city's medical facilities.

[@ProklaimYYC]

It would require a lot of investment to redevelop the interior, and it’s doubtful any level of government would be interested in taking that on, all for different reasons, I’m sure.

[@tomservo9254]

Who would staff it? The pressure on the facilities is because there's too few (burnt out) professionals to meet the demand. Unless more buildings magically make more doctors sprout out of the ground you'll just be building yet another endless triage space to dump patients into.

[@joywebster2678]

@@tomservo9254 don't forget all of usxwho lost work because we would only test daily, not partake in the Vax crap

[@Tropicsca]

With a shortage of doctors and nurses?

[@gorillaau]

​@@Tropicsca Other industries have the same crunch. Even if you were to offer 100% scholarship, it's going to be around 10 years before you have competent doctors and nurses popping out into the clinics nd hospitals. The shortage will be generational.

[@YouTubeLate]

The day it opened, people described it as looking like one big flea market. The mall’s interior is quite dull. I feel bad for this venture as it would’ve been nice to have an alternative to going to Cross Iron Mills right across. Also quite a waste of space, when this building was being built, I hoped it would be a recreational facility.

[@jaredcorreia6903]

From the mall developers standpoint the mall was a success as they sold basically all the units before they finished construction to investors or business owners. They no longer have much incentive to keep the mall busy, they delivered on their part of the deal of having the building up and operating. Great business play by the mall developer, they knew it wasn't going to cashflow through operations so they took all the profit at the start and never had to look back. Shifting all the risk to the "investors".

[@dannsherstone1037]

We have a mall near us (in British Columbia) that has always had too many vacancies. When the pandemic hit the biggest medical clinic in town leased a whole bunch of space, renovated and moved in. Since then other medical type businesses have moved in. There are food and retail shops, but mainly businesses that sell things like motorized chairs, a blood lab, the government has a vaccination center. Picking a 'theme" has revitalized the whole mall. Maybe that is what this mall needs. The owners that are there could actively start recruiting other small business to started buying from the investors - don't offer to rent - offer to buy and get the investors out of there!

[@mebro3036]

local content love to see it good video👍👍

[@stephanielennie14]

This is a wonderful video, here's my 2 cents as a local. I've been to this mall a handful of times, everytime in hopes of something to catch my interest, each time has ended in disappointment. The last time I went there was for the farmers market, we were the the hours it said it was open and it was not open. Each time before, the few stalls open are either not, or are filled with stuff you could find on wish for cheaper. The gaming store in the mall is really good, but its not worth it for me to make a trip out there for it when there are already Asian style malls closer to home. I also find some of the stalls that are open are trying to get your business by shouting at you to come in the store, but it feels far too pushy to be inviting. I really feel for the small business owners in here, but I do think it was bought up by greedy investors who didn't give a crap about the stores in it. It's a very sad mall for those involved, but the heated underground parking is very nice.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

I can't imagine what the cost of heating the underground parking would be in the winter in Calgary. And it's a cost that has to be paid by the leasors', owners or not.

[@naturallyherb]

This mall is based on Pacific Mall in Markham ON, just north of Toronto. That was built in the early 1990's on an empty plot of farmland. At the time, only one other mall was in the area, a relatively small one (Market Village, closed 2018). Because of its isolated location, that was often the only choice for people to do shopping nearby, contributing to Pacific Mall being a relatively busy and popular mall. Also, Pacific Mall has been host to a lot of illegal activities, most notably pirated CD's and DVD's for sale; many of those shops were raided by the RCMP and local police departments over the last couple years. Pacific Mall was designed by Hong Kong immigrants, and Hong Kong is a place where a lot of malls have tiny little shops, partly due to the very limited land there, and also the shopping styles there are really different. Unfortunately, when they based New Horizon Mall out of Pacific Mall, CrossIron Mills (essentially a clone of Tsawwassen Mills and Vaughan Mills) was already thriving, and it was a much better shopping environment compared to New Horizon. Furthermore, Canadian malls typically have larger shops because it's how the style and culture of shopping here evolved. As most chain stores and small businesses in Canada prefer larger shops, the tiny little shops in New Horizon simply wouldn't be a good fit for them, and so the result is a nearly dead mall. Also the almost non-existent public transit in that location partly contributed to this as well.

[@tomrogers9467]

Pacific Mall is known as a centre for cheap counterfeit junk. Police are paid off to leave them alone.

[@kayjenn5721]

I went here for the first time a couple days ago. Sky castle is a great addition and brings in I would say most of the traffic. Perhaps they should add more entertainment spaces.

[@youandiryan]

CrossIron Mills is very very busy mall. Sometimes it gets absolutely crazy there and I can't stand it there at times because there's just too many people. It is definitely a popular mall. And I think this hinders Horizons mall or a New Horizons or whatever is across the road. Because people see Cross Iron Mills and they just immediately go to it because it's really busy. Also CrossIron Mills has some very good stores in it. It is always my choice mall to go shop when it's not busy. Especially for Bass pro shops. Hahaha. That's my favorite store in that mall. Anyways excellent video my friend

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment and for your kind words! As a commenter said here, “when people leave Crossiron they’re broke and tired” so their plan to attract shoppers from there seems to have misfired.

[@ginger_nosoul]

Some of those spots are so small they look more like prison cells than a possible store.

[@amsro9094]

Pacific Mall in Toronto is pretty much the same building. That place is overflowing.

[@jcalm1]

Toronto has a larger population than Calgary, thats why. This is like opening Chinook Centre in Milk River, resulting in a lack of support by locals.

[@amsro9094]

@@jcalm1 I agree, it just amazed me to see the same building nearly empty.

[@HobbyTalk]

Great work with this

[@ProklaimYYC]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@bootlegga69]

I always wondered about this mall and why it failed, and attributed it to the lack of anchor tenants or Cross Iron Mills nearby. But your explanation about how it operates and that units were sold rather than rented makes more sense.

[@jenniferlarsonjaylaplans]

They tried to save it when they first opened by having haunted house at Halloween and other such activities in the parkade but it’s been years since I’ve heard anything about it. The opening was covered and definitely a flop. I’m in Calgary and don’t go that far out of the city just to shop. Plus if there’s only ~9 stores why would you go there unless you were supporting a friends store that was there

[@ProklaimYYC]

I believe they are doing the haunted house again this year.

[@joywebster2678]

Lease for 300 a month, move people into the empty shoppes, cover the windows with dark paper, and a warm dry place to winter that is affordable!

[@10N1Z3D]

Never thought I'd see a liminal space in broad daylight, let alone so close to home.

[@mvg2x34]

Interesting video. It would also be interesting how many government subsidies were provided to the developers and the incentivized low interest loans that tenants may have been given.

[@kostiemuirhead8187]

Yep. Allowing speculators to buy everything up killed the entire premise. Buying into a new and interesting location has some appeal, but if I were to want to lease commercial space, I'd want it to be in a location that already had foot traffic and a nearby anchor store or two. I don't feel the least bit bad for the speculators who were actively looking to fleece would be small business operators.

[@dallassegno]

it's like... some kind of scheme... shaped like... a triangle of some sort. except this box full of nothing had something in it. a money vacuum. shaped like a triangle of some sort.

[@timh1187]

This was really bad business. It’s one thing to launder your money. It’s another to just drop bombs and slap everyone and think it will go unnoticed. I was in cross iron yesterday and drove by this place. Whole thing is insane.

[@ProklaimYYC]

In some news clips I didn’t include in the video the management staff of the mall would continue to say “We’ve got more stores opening every day!” and “We’re expecting more stores before the end of the week.” Multiple interviews over about four years.

[@TheCrytone]

My kids loved Sky Castle. Went there over the summer. The rest of the mall was dead and maybe only a dozen or so people at Sky Castle were about the only patrons in the entire mall. Made it nice and quiet at least.

[@OptusCarpetCleaning]

Very well presented coverage

[@hcgaunt]

I’d love to see someone find a creative use for the space - accessible housing? Community resource hub? You have the individual units and the food court there already. You have bathrooms. Add some public transit options to Calgary and Airdrie, you’re set. It wouldn’t take a whole lot of imagination to make this a valuable space for a lot of people.

[@kostiemuirhead8187]

It's not valuable space, because it's not accessible space. The use cases you and others propose, while laudable, create more problems than solutions if they aren't accessible by transit or on foot. Those that need affordable housing options or community resources are also the same people least able to drive out to the middle of nowhere.

[@hcgaunt]

@@kostiemuirhead8187 Exactly - which is why I said there would need to be public transit options implemented. You would really only need a couple busses connecting to pre-existing transit routes. I don’t think that in itself is a reason to rule it out. Yes, it would be further away to access services at this location rather than somewhere within city limits. But - imagine having ONE building to access ALL of the services you might need. Instead of making multiple trips to multiple locations, everything is grouped together. That would be a lot more accessible to me, especially if I could take care of multiple tasks on the same day. Overall, that’s less time spent on transportation, less time off work, less time away from my life trying to get to opposite ends of the city. And speaking of barriers to entry, even if I had to go there on different days, that’s still only one transit route to figure out. If I know where to find a place and I know how to get there, it’s much less daunting than having to learn multiple transit routes.

[@rona6063]

This place was a huge success if they sold all of the stalls. All thats left is to build the monorail.

[@ProklaimYYC]

What’s it called? Monorail. What’s he’s say? Monorail! Monorail…. Monorail.

[@Roycebert]

I was hoping someone would make a Simpsons reference lol

[@Roycebert]

There ain't no monorail here and there never was!! *closes shutter of Monorail Cafe*

[@Proxyy7]

I went there for the first time a couple weeks ago, really interesting experience. A large part of the parkade was rented out as a haunted house, I get the feeling that's the busiest it gets.

[@thisisausername.595]

This is disgusting. You'll have an empty building doing nothing, yet the homeless are still sleeping out in the cold.

[@mdzz182]

Lol. This place is not empty, it's actually growing

[@stevesmith8484]

Pac Mall in Markham has a HUGE Asian population all around it and all over Toronto, You cannot compare them at all.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The developers were constantly comparing the two, but they never really pointed out the differences in location, demographics, and overall interest in such a mall.

[@kendallcurle]

This story highlights the hype media play in people's perception of Real Estate in general. The same thing has happened in residential sales in the Calgary area.

[@katiedyck5407]

I personally think it is unique and cool to have a ghost mall so close, they should play on that and make it like a haunted house, only make it a haunted mall. It’s not depressing, it’s just quiet and empty in lots of spots. But there is stores there and it’s worth the adventure just to go see it.

[@katiedyck5407]

I don’t understand why the video is so negative

[@kathrynofaragon]

Yesss! Make haunted halls with ghosts set it up on Halloween and make a tradition of it, having a ghost party, then maybe this mall can gain a little more traction or at least help the people who are selling their wares.

[@ProklaimYYC]

If you check out my channel you’ll see I’ve posted a follow-up video talking with one of the shop owners and he gives some of his thoughts on the way I portray the mall and some critiques of my video. It speaks to your point about the uniqueness of some of the shops in the mall that are springing up, and to the negative tone of this video.

[@ProklaimYYC]

They do put on a haunted house every Halloween in the mall’s parkade to attract visitors, but from what I’ve heard few visitors take in the shops afterward.

[@thevinmeister5015]

They based themselves off of the Pacific Mall in Markham which was starting to die when they started building this one.

[@ProklaimYYC]

In other news footage, the developer said it took about two years to fill the Pacific Mall with vendors. Are there vacant storefronts there? I'm curious to know if the business model was a success giving the different circumstances.

[@my2iu]

@@ProklaimYYC the Pacific Mall is in a thriving Chinese district in Toronto. Culturally, many of the locals like opening small businesses and they like owning their own real estate, so the Pacific Mall model is a perfect fit (why rent, only for the owner to jack up the rents when times are good, taking all your profits?) Plus, everyone in the city knows that if you need to get weird Chinese stuff, you can probably find it at Pacific Mall, so it has a large catchment area. Obviously, things aren’t as great there currently due to the pandemic and the poorly planned construction projects of Metrolinx. Like, it was already a pain to drive out there and very difficult to find parking, deciding to sink the road and do funny stuff with the routing wasn’t helping things. I imagine things will revive once they start approving giant condo projects in the area to take advantage of the more frequent commuter train line that is starting nearby. I’m not sure if Calgary has a large enough ethnic population who aren’t being adequately served by traditional Canadian malls, which is what allows alternative malls to exist. Like, there are a few T&T supermarkets in Calgary, so maybe? But those T&T supermarkets aren’t near New Horizon mall. Also, I’m not sure if Calgarians are okay with the idea of an entire mall that’s not intended to appeal to westerners at all. Even if New Horizon mall were thriving, it’s assumed that normal Calgarians would never go there.

[@hugosmith6776]

the money laundry gig got too much attention.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Definitely after construction that seemed to be one of the more popular theories on how and why the mall got built. The fact the pushed so hard through a massive downturn in Alberta does raise some significant questions.

[@strokersteve468]

I use to drive by this area for work. I saw the mall being built. Last time I went by in 2021 I didn't realize it was open! I've stopped several times at the cross iron mall though.

[@JIGgameoverSAW]

I ran back to Cross Iron after visiting this location lmao

[@cherylimeson3006]

I was surprised when that mall was being built because of the close proximity to Crossiron mall as well as a Costco. I have never heard one positive thing about it.

[@ProklaimYYC]

The selling point was the ‘concept’ - it doesn’t seem to have taken off yet.

[@rona6063]

Flood the floors, let the Flames play there, looks nicer than the dome.

[@boomds5602]

I was thinking that too lol it’s probably big enough

[@lancepheng]

No one wants to drink and take a $100 cab ride back home or down town. No thanks 😅

[@bobcaygeon6799]

Ha! I was thinking flood the parking lot and rent out ice time for shinnies. Get Tim Horton's, Wendy's, McDonald's and A & W inside and it's on!!! |LOL.

[@vstrom9586]

turn it into a big grow-op --- for vegetables

[@TheBrendon67]

Very well made piece!!!

[@larsonfrederick7885]

I have lived in Calgary for over 30 years and this is the 1st time I have ever heard of this mall

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

The base consumer population of Calgary is in the deep SW and NW area of the city. This mall is in the top North East, no where near consumers and their huge SUV's and large tanks of gas. Even for Alberta this is just nuts.

[@danq.5140]

I read about this mall a few years ago but didn't know it's all the way up in Balzac. There was nothing in the NE when I lived on 26th Ave SW from 1996-2000.

[@nickskier1]

Well yes it’s a bit further from the main consumer spending residential areas, cross iron mills does just fine right next door. People are willing to travel a little bit further if the stores are worth it

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

@@danq.5140 The only thing I know in Balzac was the bull market A. I. centre (artificial insemination collection)!!!

[@CrispyPoouhhh]

I remember walking in there and thinking it was one of the most miserable places I had been in.

[@JIGgameoverSAW]

FR! Same

[@antonioenrico]

The last statement really sums it up. Its depressing and sad to go there because i feel sorry for the people who tried to get their businesses up and running in there. And no one came. Ive been there once only though. And ny kids LOVES the indoor playground upstairs. That place was really good.

[@ProklaimYYC]

That was the sense I got when I visited. There was no sense of hope - it was bleak. I felt nothing but sad for the businesses who were already set up there, and sad for the businesses that never got off the ground.

[@ChronicallyMichelle]

I had no idea the New Horizon Mall was even open! I’m not in Calgary but I go there often and go to Cross Iron Mall

[@whatthepick]

It's haunted that said for $500 a month and six months free ... (or $300) 3:47 Anyone who wants to gamble on an idea may have a maker space or a personalized youtube studio :) Next time I visit cross Iron maybe i'll trek over to experience it lol

[@ProklaimYYC]

I went in with an open mind and my intention was to make a more lighthearted bit of content, but as soon as I walked in the doors there was a sense of foreboding I couldn’t shake. As I said in the video, it’s uncomfortable to be in there.

[@TheMiccoliGroup]

Don't be delusional, read the comment I posted about my experience as a tenant. You will get robbed and harassed.

[@whatthepick]

@@TheMiccoliGroup I don't see your comment ? Care to explain

[@whatthepick]

@@ProklaimYYC Ya I passed it a few times but have never stepped in ... that said I believe it if you say spooky no security?

[@TheMiccoliGroup]

My comment was flagged and deleted. I was a tenant and my landlord was an owner. Incompetent board hired corrupt management company that hired G4S security who's emploees have been historically involved in multiple mass shootings (including Edmonton, Alberta and killed a family friend and Orlando, Florida). I learned about 4 major robberies at that mall including my small bus was broken into and I was robbed. Yet nobody sees or knows anything. When I asked for a report and video my landlord said the management company called him and told him to get rid of me or he gets locked out. This was the last straw after being repeatedly harassed, intimidated, bullied, stalked and told they havevideos of me. I have picture evidence of this. I was one of the few female business owners. During the pandemic with no traffic and closures. If you think you have a forboding something is not right... that's because the remaining tenants are plotting their escape. Tenants were moving out while I was moving in and then I was moving out too (keep in mind my rent had been paid on time. When the landlord told me the pressure he had to get rid of me by management, I took the opportunity. As for G4S security just Google G4S and the word "arrested" or the words "mass shooting".

[@leadrecharges1821]

Just visited there today. I actually enjoy the layout. Some neat stores in there too

[@epic_matt_664]

I was there once. The stores that are there are good for those niche things that most other malls might not have

[@InTecknicolour]

i'm from toronto and I've been to pacific mall, which new horizons is based on. it's gotten pretty dead in the last 5 years or so, even before covid. it's all cell phone accessories, snack food/drinks and clothing stores. this concept of individually owned tiny little shops just isn't conducive to any other type of business.

[@ProklaimYYC]

I wondered if that perception of Pacific Mall contributed to the negative opinion of New Horizon. As I mentioned in the video, the top Reddit comment was ‘Brick and mortar wish.com’. Perhaps shoppers thought that the stores would be full of low-quality mass-produced merchandise.

[@TMBpk]

There’s literally no parking available on the weekends…lol. Pacific Mall was over capacity before I’d say…

[@InTecknicolour]

@@TMBpk there's no parking because they destroyed half the parking spaces due to construction. which has been ongoing for......3-5 years.

[@bryancampbell9622]

On a positive note, the most successful tenant is Sky Castle on the second floor. You can find tons of videos of kids having a blast in the large play area.

[@ProklaimYYC]

Some comments on the Reddit thread I referenced in the video say Sky Castle is amazing, and when I was there it did look like it might be amazing for little ones.

[@Roycebert]

My kids loved it haha it's pretty epic, I'll give it that. Expensive, but it'll wear three kids out for dern sure.

[@gaywizard2000]

My partner designed the play palace, so we have made several trips to NH mall. Best Shop is good and there was supposed to be a farmers market too? The rest is so creepy tho. A condo tower of a few thousand residents might help!?

[@dylanronnquist1445]

I was there last weekend I’d say if the back rooms had a gift shop that’s the feeling walking through the rows and floors of empty stores

[@crush42mash6]

They should probably do an Amazon store that sells returns that’ll get people in there

[@justintrudeau2464]

Easily turned into an internment camp under the guise of a shopping center..

[@Cassandra_Johnson]

Anyone else remember the malls in Calgary when they started to loose their anchor stores in the 90ies? This store never had an anchor store, and zero chance for random foot traffic. The location combine with the style of mall pretty much doomed this effort from the start.

[@sinny2292]

Did you reach out to the news channel and/or individuals that you cut the voice clips from for this video?

[@ampex189]

It's a traditional Chinese mall design. I remember seeing those in Beijing in the early 2000's. I also worked on one (Aberdeen Square) in Richmond BC where there's a large Chinese population (53% of the city). If this had been built closer to a Chinese population centre, it would probably do much better.

[@brahmincalgary9239]

Last 2 years with covid and lock downs didn't help the mall as well. Mall lost two years to maybe turn things around.

[@TheMiccoliGroup]

Can't blame covid for bad management.

[@user-vp1sc7tt4m]

What does the management structure of the condo strata look like and what are they charged with maintaining and doing to promote business?

[@isaakdoerksen3529]

I didn't even think it was open yet, it's always empty when I drive by

[@ProklaimYYC]

The most interesting part is that it's been open since 2018.