South-core mall's demolition postponed

The three-phase demolition of Victoriaville Mall that was scheduled to begin later this year has been postponed until January of 2025.
Aaron Ward, project manager with the City of Thunder Bay's development services, explained that the three phases include the waterproofing of exterior walls and windows, the actual demolition and finally the revitalization of Victoria Avenue.
During the inspection process, Ward said they were performing "destructive testing," which involved opening up walls, removing some brick and digging through the mall slab to see what was happening with the foundation and checking wall construction.
"They found some of the walls were built as interior style walls," he said. "They're not original walls and they were built as part of the mall's conventional construction and don't meet the code for being an exterior wall with proper vapour barriers."
He said those walls must now be reconstructed to meet the current code for being an exterior wall. Waterproofing involves caulking windows and fixing ceilings to bring those up to code as well.
The former Robin's Donuts shop, for example, had an interior, chain-style closing door because it was inside the mall.
"That unit needs to be enclosed with a proper exterior wall," he said. "Closing up any units that weren't enclosed and sealing any of the windows is all part of the waterproofing."
Ward said they are now combining the first and second phases, which include the waterproofing and demolition "to help make up some time," with work beginning in January. Victoriaville Mall was built in the 1970s and there are still private and city department tenants operating in the building.

Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal