Rideau Centre

The Rideau Centre is a four-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street the ByWard Market, the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street in Downtown Ottawa. Over 20 million people visit the mall annually.HistoryDuring its construction from 1981 to 1982, the Rideau Centre instilled some controversy: a whole block of stores was torn down to make room for the new building, with many people opposed to their destruction. Others feared the impact of increased traffic and buses on the area. The Eaton's department store chain, one of the partners in the development, caused further controversy when it attempted to rename the mall the "Rideau Eaton Centre" while it was under construction; the company backed down in the face of local opposition to the name change. This mall was officially opened on March 16, 1983. On the morning of June 8, 2016, the Rideau Centre was evacuated after a sinkhole opened up on Rideau Street.Features and surroundingsThe Rideau Centre complex has approximately 180 retailers, the 487-room Westin Hotel, a rooftop park, and the Shaw Centre (Ottawa Convention Centre). At 740757sqft in size, it is the largest shopping centre in Ottawa and the National Capital Region. The Rideau Centre and the adjacent National Defence Headquarters building are served by OC Transpo's Mackenzie King Transitway station, which is served by several major bus routes.