By John Moore, Columnist
We are very fortunate to have Wedgewood Mall, located on Kearney Lake Road, as part of our wonderful community. As an added bonus, it is right around the corner from where I live. At one end of the mall is Tim’s and at the other end is the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission. This liquor store won the store of the year award for HRM in 2024. They plan to win it again this year. There is plenty of parking and it’s all free.
Over the years as businesses have come and gone evolution seems to be at work as newer businesses arrive taking hold and prospering more than the previous ones. Several years ago the Maritime Dance Academy, a long-time tenant, moved to another nearby location and was replaced by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education which is a pre-primary facility for Ecole Grosvenor Wentworth. It hosts approximately 150 to 200 preschoolers and is the largest such facility in the area. It’s wonderful to see all these preschoolers going along as they march in twos to their various nearby venues. Often my wife and I are greeted with many hellos and smiling faces. It’s a welcome site in our neighborhood.
The existing tenants are varied. There is Capricorn Books which has been at the mall for 5 years. It is an amazing bookstore, probably one of the best anywhere. I can personally attest to that. They have a wide selection of titles and authors. The owner is very knowledgeable and if you’re not sure what your next read is she’ll make sure you’ll find one. The price is right and even better you get credit and a discount when you return your book. As a promotion, tell the owner you read this article, and you will get a 25% discount on your first purchase. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Other tenants include Encore Nail Bar. They do excellent work, and their service includes both for men and women. I used their service last year for my feet and toenails. They did an excellent job. There is Maid Pro which offers various levels of house cleaning. Next door is Cosmo Hair Salon which serves both ladies and men. My barber is there, and he is the best. I highly recommend him. Other nearby tenants include Clayton Park Chiropractic Centre. They have been there 15 years and love their location. They are very busy. Further down there are dental services which include braces and next door is Click Smart Dentures. They are both busy and doing well. In the area of food there is Randy’s Pizza which is a franchise. Their pizzas are amazing and consistently delicious. Their prices are great as well. There is also the Kabayan Food Mart which caters to the local Philippian community but as I discovered it is for everyone. Their Pork Isau and Pork BBQ on a stick are very popular as are the Chicharron Bagnet. They also have a vegetable package which I tried. It was delicious. One of the longest serving tenants is Vogue Optical. They have been there at least 20 years, if not more. Their reputation as eyeglass providers is top notch and their service is exceptional. Again, I can attest to that having used their services for a number of years.
As I mentioned earlier there have been tenants that have come and gone over the years. One was the infamous Red Rooster operated by the legendary owner known as Tony. He always made sure our children behaved themselves when they were buying popsicles, candy or drinks, always keeping a watchful eye on them, suggesting maybe you shouldn’t be doing that. The other tenant was Allstate, which was a tenant for many years. In its place, however, there is an exciting new tenant, the ICICI Bank. This is a great addition to the mall. It is also a great addition to our community. I had the pleasure of meeting the Regional Manager Rajan Sharda recently and was very impressed. If you are in the area, you should check this bank out as they may be a great fit for your financial and investment needs. They also want to become an integral part of our community.
In wandering through the mall and meeting the various tenants I ‘m awestruck at their optimism in wanting to make our community a more prosperous and better place to live. It is important to remember many small businesses are struggling so they need all the support they can get. Check out Wedgewood Mall the next time you’re in the area and see for yourself what a gem awaits you. God Bless and Happy Father’s Day
