Saanich Uptown replaces the Town & Country Shopping Centre, an unloved 1960s stripmall that featured a Walmart, Little Caesar's pizzeria, a bowling alley and an abundance of surface parking. Anchored by a super-mega Walmart, Best Buy, Future Shop and Shopper's Drug Mart, Uptown is poised to deliver patrons a shopping experience unparalleled in the Greater Victoria area. Featuring unique architecture well suited to a regional airport or an industrial park, Uptown is a real eye pleaser:
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| Wide streets, ample sidewalks, and beautiful landscaping provide an enriching urban experience for driver and pedestrian. |
Entering Oak Street, men and women in safety vests direct drivers to ground zero, where they battle for valuable parking space. The closer to Walmart, the better.
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| Drivers form a queue on Oak Street. |
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| A subterranean traffic jam forms as eager shoppers vie for coveted parking space. |
Once parked, shoppers make their way to Walmart, through the main entrance. Here, the developer spared no expense in creating a lush, warm, and welcoming environment.
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| Good lighting and a spacious, airy feel are hallmarks of this architectural masterwork. |
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| A denim-clad man pauses amid the hustle and bustle of unbridled consumerism. |
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Social cohesion: Walmart patrons young and old navigate the grand staircase. |
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Shoppers can make their way across the plaza to Main Street America, or stop at the popular sandwich bar and refuel.
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| Mosaic of Meat: Foot-long hot dogs and Montreal Smoked Meat sandwiches abound, giving Uptown a unique, multicultural flavour. |
Main Street America delights shoppers with its charming streetscape, and kitschy boutique stores such as Mexx and Futureshop. Ironically, Main Street America is not a thoroughfare, but a cul de sac.
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| Main Street America bustles with activity. |
Entrance to the walled city of Uptown is gained through a magnificent archway, where entrants are screened before access is granted. A sizeable security force patrols surface parking within the city walls.
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| A few lucky shoppers can enter the walled city through the archway, where coveted surface parking is available. |
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| Eternal vigilance: An undercover agent watches, while a member of the Uptown Security Force alerts her partner to a potential terrorist threat. |
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| Crisis averted: The suspicious package is carried away for analysis, while a member peers into an aging Land Rover. |
