Monday July 8, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated July 9 & 10, 2024]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
In the middle of this heat wave in Greater Victoria, The Bay department store in one of the most popular malls in the region is closed for HVAC maintenance.
The Bay Downtown store posted their closure with signage outside the store on Saturday July 6. Also the Vancouver store has been closed for a few days.
Many folks may not be regular shoppers at The Bay in Victoria or Vancouver; it’s an older style of department store retail. But that both stores have been closed for several days for HVAC system maintenance speaks to something we’re all aware of… the importance of urban infrastructure to lifestyle (in this case air conditioning during a heat wave).
The store at 1150 Douglas Street in the heart of downtown Victoria is still closed on this Monday July 8 and will reopen as soon as possible, says a spokesperson from the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC).
UPDATE: As of 10:15 am on Tuesday July 9, the two stores are still closed. The telephone voice message gives no further information. | UPDATE: As of 8:25 am on Wednesday July 10, the Vancouver and Victoria stores are still closed. The telephone voice message at the Victoria store gives no further information other than to visit online at thebay.com (national website) .
Usual hours:
The downtown store normally is open daily during mall hours: 10 am to 6 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays and longer from 10 am to 8 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
Downtown stores in both Victoria and Vancouver:
The two old downtown stores in BC (i.e. in Victoria and in Vancouver) are impacted by this challenge to the HVAC system.
The Bay’s more modern building at Mayfair Mall at 3147 Douglas Street (at Finlayson) is not closed for maintenance.
Comfort and well-being come first:
“The comfort and well-being of our customers and associates is always our top priority,” says the HBC spokesperson today.
Indoor cooling:
During heat waves the public are advised to seek comfort in large indoor air-conditioned spaces such as malls and rec centres.
Hot today:
Temperatures have been reaching into the high 20’s (Celcius) for the last few days.
It has not been specified whether the mall’s HVAC system was just ready for a scheduled cleaning or maintenance, or whether air conditioning capacity was found to be insufficient to deal with the additional load.
The temperature high today in Victoria is 30°C (still 29°C at 4:45 pm as this article is posted). Tomorrow the high in Victoria is expected to reach 33°C and on Wednesday is forecasted to still be reaching a high of 26°C.
Mall is 35 years old:
There are 93 stores in The Bay Centre mall in Victoria, within 421,030 sq ft. The four-level mall opened in 1989.
