And don't forget the Guildford Cinema inside on the top floor. For a mall that place was so cool. You could spend the whole day there because they actually had proper places to shop and eat and play arcade games. Then at 9pm, they would close only part of the mall down with black gridded iron gates and leave the East and North side of the mall doors open for the movie goers. It was the best mall in the lower mainland to experience. So glad I had the opportunity as a kid to grow up and experience what a 'real' mall was like.
Now that brings back memories! I remember the mall before they closed it in and build the theatre in the middle. They had a big playground there, with a stage for performers.
@TEEC4C A detail in the clip description that you may have missed is this is Guildford Town Centre Mall in Surrey, British Columbia - hopefully not to be confused with anything in Guildford, Surrey, UK.
i remember going there in '85 when i was 4 and there was this daycare called Paddington Station i dont know if that willy woozle is still hidden behind the escalator by the liquor store
I was there when it was built 1967, it was pretty cool and there was no such thing as a mall, probably the first one! The outdoor roller rink was the highlight!
@TEEC4C Sorry, but it was definitely shot at Guildford Mall. You clearly see Woodwards (among others), a legendary BC department store that never operated in the States.
Thought that was Guildford, Surrey, England until I saw the ad... where I used to live. Coincidentally though I moved to BC (Victoria) a littler later ))
@xbox7202 Yes, most likely that's the spot. The original concrete play area was part of an outdoor courtyard down at the Woodwards end of the building, but that was lost when the mall expanded in the mid-to-late 1970s.
@xbox7202 It's been many years since I've been in the Mall so I can't pinpoint the location of what would occupy the space where the fountain and pool used to be located. If I had to guess I'd say there would be a staircase or elevators now. The mall layout changed a few times (and expanded) since it first opened; there used to be an outdoor courtyard with a concrete play area for kids, and the movie theaters used to be inside the mall
@xbox7202 As what other users stated, the water fountain/pool is where the playground is. Now that the playground has been removed, due to the current renovation project, you can now see the blue tile amidst the concrete. Kind of sad to see...
It became too expensive to maintain I believe. It was always breaking down. Still one of my favorite memories of the mall. We'd go throw our pennies in.
Aaah, Woodward's. I worked for them about a year when I was 16. What a cool company. Family operation, and felt like it even though they had several department stores across B.C. A crying shame it went down, but the age of the department store is pretty much over, unless your name is Wal-Mart or Target.
There is a new fountain now, it's in the same general area but the opposite side, where the Santa Palace used to be every Christmas. The old fountain area is now just clear walking space. Thank god they got rid of that pestilent snot-covered kid's play area they planted over the old fountain.
Does anyone remember a toy store in this mall back in the mid 1980s? I have vague memories of it. I think the logo had a bear on it. I feel like it was a panda bear..... and I think the font was in purple. I can't find any information about it online. Trying to remember the name.
Old guildford looked like a fancy mall for the middle class. New guildford looks like a minimalist hellscape for rental serfs (the modern canadian "middle class").
Nick they replaced them and renovated the entire mall. The mall is unrecognizeable. It is kinda sad because they were really cool it was my favourite part as a kid
If I had realized sooner that the SkyTrain actually went all the way down to Surrey, I might have considered going down there one night during the Games. Oh well...
The Old Food Court before the Mall Renovation, they had, Dairy Queen, Miki Chinese Cusine, Taco Ball, Soup n San', Opa!, and other. They even has a Nestle Toll House, not by the food court, but somewhere else! Now in the New Food court after the Mall Renovation, in my opinion, was not as good as the Old Food Court, they don't sell Fries or other Food at Dairy Queen anymore, the fries I had at New York Fries, were too soggy. Moveover, the mall nowadays is just like an slight downgrade for some reason in my opinion. The Nestle Toll House was replaced by a Virigin Mobile center, (there are phone stores in some areas! why did they have to do this?!) I'm really asking for a time machine.
Wow there was a fountain?? Now everything is white and boring… it had so much life and vibrance back then… I remember the food court from 2005. Ahh to be able to go back in time when you’re a kid. It’s such a shame to grow up.
I thought, wow - this will be interesting…. Then within seconds, this is clearly not the same Guildford, in Surrey that I’m from. I’m from the ‘original’ one in the UK. ;-)
@iix iixorb Surrey here in B.C. has had a longstanding meme that it's rundown and poor and crime ridden, to which people from Surrey point out that it's no longer been like that for a while now, but that just makes the meme funnier for the rest of us, the less true it gets overtime the angrier Surrey people get when we still make fun of the place lol. Typical conversation with a person from Surrey; person not from Surrey: "So where are you from?" person from Surrey: "Surrey" person not from Surrey: "Ew, I heard that place is a crime ridden shithole." person from Surrey: "DIAULGDBKUAWGDIUAWBDA!!!!!!"
I love how corny and lame this is! :D The irony being that the mall is much shabbier and... just, like, the pit of Slurrey now. Whatever happened to that badass fountain?!
Man Guildford town centre looks way different I can’t imagine it used to look like this
It looked a bit like this in the early 2000s it only really got a facelift in 2011
It's the recent upgrade in 2011 that made the big difference!
@Skunky Stinkerson omggg sooo true, I got my first beta fish at that pet store and it died 3 days later lol
And don't forget the Guildford Cinema inside on the top floor. For a mall that place was so cool. You could spend the whole day there because they actually had proper places to shop and eat and play arcade games. Then at 9pm, they would close only part of the mall down with black gridded iron gates and leave the East and North side of the mall doors open for the movie goers. It was the best mall in the lower mainland to experience. So glad I had the opportunity as a kid to grow up and experience what a 'real' mall was like.
Never take this video down
Absolutely legendary
True that!
I remember the fountains as a kid! Brings back memories. With all the new renos lately, the mall is booming and unrecognizable.
Oh man how I miss those indoor trees!
and birds!!! :D
I so remember those stairs and water decoration.
13 years later this ended up in my recommended list. I have a vague recollection of the mall looking like this except the water wasn't quite so blue!
Now that brings back memories! I remember the mall before they closed it in and build the theatre in the middle. They had a big playground there, with a stage for performers.
I was just strolling along TH-cam looking for 80s content until I found this. I live in Fleetwood. :)
Lol ya this video was tripping me out because of How differemt yet the same the place looks today.
Well you found a treasure!
@TEEC4C A detail in the clip description that you may have missed is this is Guildford Town Centre Mall in Surrey, British Columbia - hopefully not to be confused with anything in Guildford, Surrey, UK.
Ahh, I remember that jingle! Love it!
That was definitely shot at Guildford Mall and that is awesome!
i remember going there in '85 when i was 4 and there was this daycare called Paddington Station i dont know if that willy woozle is still hidden behind the escalator by the liquor store
Oh that brought memories
I miss that floor 😭 so different now!!
I literally grew up there in the 90’s…moved away from surrey since 2001 and haven’t gone back since…some of the scenes really trigger my memories
Haha same, I grew up with that mall as well
Cool. Amazing they had color back then in the 60s
aw now i'm sad that the mall is being redone...
woah the plants inside and that circle thing on the staircase look so cool but i still love our gtc rn
Wow, never thought about how long the place has been around.
I was there when it was built 1967, it was pretty cool and there was no such thing as a mall, probably the first one! The outdoor roller rink was the highlight!
@TEEC4C Sorry, but it was definitely shot at Guildford Mall. You clearly see Woodwards (among others), a legendary BC department store that never operated in the States.
"First exit South off the Port Mann Bridge" - and that's why Downtown New Westminster had the wind taken out of its sails.
Miss that mall spent a lot of money in that place as a teenager and young adult eating hanging with friends did have it’s charms
Ha! Amazing. Now I want to remake this when the new Guildford Mall is done :P
Grew up here in the 80’s. Loved Consumer’s Distributing and Toy City on the ground floor. Sometimes I wish they would leave things alone.
Many Ivanhoe Cambridge malls have a "look" to them. Guildford is fitted out pretty closely to Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria.
dang. i wish i experienced this version of guildford mall :,)) the way that these comments describe it sounds so fun
Thought that was Guildford, Surrey, England until I saw the ad... where I used to live. Coincidentally though I moved to BC (Victoria) a littler later ))
@xbox7202 Yes, most likely that's the spot. The original concrete play area was part of an outdoor courtyard down at the Woodwards end of the building, but that was lost when the mall expanded in the mid-to-late 1970s.
@xbox7202 It's been many years since I've been in the Mall so I can't pinpoint the location of what would occupy the space where the fountain and pool used to be located. If I had to guess I'd say there would be a staircase or elevators now. The mall layout changed a few times (and expanded) since it first opened; there used to be an outdoor courtyard with a concrete play area for kids, and the movie theaters used to be inside the mall
@xbox7202 As what other users stated, the water fountain/pool is where the playground is. Now that the playground has been removed, due to the current renovation project, you can now see the blue tile amidst the concrete.
Kind of sad to see...
yeah, i went swimming in that fountain when i was 4.
I love it lolll
Why did they ever get rid of that cool fountain thing at 0:11
It became too expensive to maintain I believe. It was always breaking down. Still one of my favorite memories of the mall. We'd go throw our pennies in.
Pig Vomit I remember doing that, sweet time
@xbox7202 the one with the waterfall used to be by where the walmart/woodwards entrance is
Aaah, Woodward's. I worked for them about a year when I was 16. What a cool company. Family operation, and felt like it even though they had several department stores across B.C. A crying shame it went down, but the age of the department store is pretty much over, unless your name is Wal-Mart or Target.
Sister Sids - I was the assistant manager at Paddington Station...
Omg really the guildford mall is that old god damn
You Remember the "Dogs Ear"?? that was probably the only place other than Rock-a-Motion (In Whalley) to get your Fave Band T-shirt.
There is a new fountain now, it's in the same general area but the opposite side, where the Santa Palace used to be every Christmas. The old fountain area is now just clear walking space. Thank god they got rid of that pestilent snot-covered kid's play area they planted over the old fountain.
Does anyone remember a toy store in this mall back in the mid 1980s? I have vague memories of it. I think the logo had a bear on it. I feel like it was a panda bear..... and I think the font was in purple. I can't find any information about it online. Trying to remember the name.
@Hexinvir yeah but so many memories...
bring back all that water tf now we have the weird elevator fountain and the stairs outside but that's IT i need a whole pond to walk over
@joecanuck2 Those trees are not fake I know this because I used to work for the mall and one of the night jobs after closing is watering them....
Old guildford looked like a fancy mall for the middle class.
New guildford looks like a minimalist hellscape for rental serfs (the modern canadian "middle class").
00:27 do they still have those stairs or did they replace them with that waterfall elevator I really need to know
Nick they replaced them and renovated the entire mall. The mall is unrecognizeable. It is kinda sad because they were really cool it was my favourite part as a kid
Family Guy should do a send-up on this tv ad
If I had realized sooner that the SkyTrain actually went all the way down to Surrey, I might have considered going down there one night during the Games. Oh well...
i remember the pool and fountain, where was it located ?
@RetroWinnipeg Me too!
@RetroWinnipeg
You would've had to take a bus after you got off the Skytrain, as the Skytrain doesn't go anywhere near Guildford.
Omg
@Babymuma604 you mean was, they are doing something with it now..
Who’s here after the stranger things 3 teaser?
bunch of locals in chat ....lol.
Where is this located?
Guildford, surrey, british columbia!
What about this? Woolco was an anchor there too, before it became a Crap-Mart.
The Old Food Court before the Mall Renovation, they had, Dairy Queen, Miki Chinese Cusine, Taco Ball, Soup n San', Opa!, and other. They even has a Nestle Toll House, not by the food court, but somewhere else!
Now in the New Food court after the Mall Renovation, in my opinion, was not as good as the Old Food Court, they don't sell Fries or other Food at Dairy Queen anymore, the fries I had at New York Fries, were too soggy. Moveover, the mall nowadays is just like an slight downgrade for some reason in my opinion. The Nestle Toll House was replaced by a Virigin Mobile center, (there are phone stores in some areas! why did they have to do this?!) I'm really asking for a time machine.
Consumerism!
This is Guilford...i know. My brother is one of the actors
Wow there was a fountain?? Now everything is white and boring… it had so much life and vibrance back then… I remember the food court from 2005. Ahh to be able to go back in time when you’re a kid. It’s such a shame to grow up.
I thought, wow - this will be interesting…. Then within seconds, this is clearly not the same Guildford, in Surrey that I’m from. I’m from the ‘original’ one in the UK. ;-)
@iix iixorb Surrey here in B.C. has had a longstanding meme that it's rundown and poor and crime ridden, to which people from Surrey point out that it's no longer been like that for a while now, but that just makes the meme funnier for the rest of us, the less true it gets overtime the angrier Surrey people get when we still make fun of the place lol.
Typical conversation with a person from Surrey;
person not from Surrey: "So where are you from?"
person from Surrey: "Surrey"
person not from Surrey: "Ew, I heard that place is a crime ridden shithole."
person from Surrey: "DIAULGDBKUAWGDIUAWBDA!!!!!!"
Yikes!
@fayenesse sad? it's a hideous mall, it looks like its 50 years old... it needs to be redone.
and they have it was so out dated for a long time now looks so much better just the hbc the bay needs to be done on the outside
i love the way the bay looks outside lol, the inside looks horrible though
I love how corny and lame this is! :D The irony being that the mall is much shabbier and... just, like, the pit of Slurrey now. Whatever happened to that badass fountain?!
Why the fuck dont we have gays and water features anymore?
Robin Scherbatsky did it better!
aw now i'm sad that the mall is being redone...