Where the major thoroughfares of Kingston Road, Lawrence and Morningside Avenues intersect, the commercial centre of West Hill has grown. Here banks and stores, supermarkets and hardwares, florists and department stores have all found a home. The West Hill Shopping Centre is situated on the north east corner of Lawrence and Kingston Road.

The heart of the triangle is inhabited by a major supermarket and its adjacent plaza. Now a No Frills, the supermarket was for most of its life, a Loblaws. It was here that I and many of my friends got our first jobs and worked our way through high school on Thursday & Friday nights and all day Saturday. The plaza is also home to a drugstore, Brewers retail, Chick'n' Joy, McDonalds and a Pizza Pizza among others.

The community, was once serviced by the three story Morningside Mall. Formerly anchored by Wal-Mart, Dominion and West Hill's Public Library, it was easily the dominant shopping experience in the area. Its third floor hosted offices for doctors, lawyers and dentists along with other professionals. Here local groups were given a forum where they demonstrated their skills. Craft fairs, performances by dance and martial arts groups were a common Saturday feature.

Unfortunately, with Wal-Mart's withdrawal from the Mall and its portion of the building demolished, the new owners are in the midst of the demolition of the remaining portion of the Mall and replacement by a plaza of moderately styled box stores to be called Morningside Crossing.

By the Fall of 2007 the first phase of the new Morningside Crossing had been completed on the site of the former Beaver Gas Station. The Mall proper is now nearing the end of its demolition and plans call for a Shoppers Drug Mart and a Food Basics to be build on the site of the actual Mall. This work to be completed by the Fall of 2008 See the link on our side bar for more details and views of the proposed plans for the redevelopment of the entire site or click here

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