July 3, 2026
For more than 50 years, Village Green Mall has been a familiar landmark in Vernon. While shopping habits have changed dramatically with the rise of online retail, the mall remains an important part of the community. When it first opened in 1975, however, it represented something entirely new—a modern shopping centre that reflected Vernon’s rapid growth and bright economic future.
By July 1975, construction was nearing completion, and anticipation was building for the grand opening on August 6. The four-day celebration embraced a “Sternwheelers Days” theme, complete with live entertainment, followed by back-to-school promotions and a community bazaar later that fall. The opening was an overwhelming success. Crowds filled the parking lot, with shoppers lining up hours before the doors opened. One of the few complaints reported in the Vernon Daily News came from a 13-year-old visitor from Oyama, who thought the mall could have included more record and electronic stores. Although some downtown merchants were concerned about the new competition, many believed the mall would strengthen Vernon’s economy overall.
Built by Dominion Construction Company at a cost of approximately $12 million, Village Green Mall was designed to accommodate 45 tenants. Its anchor stores were The Bay, Safeway, and K-Mart. The Bay relocated from its longtime location on 30th Avenue. K-Mart occupied the space now home to Canadian Tire, while Safeway was located where Save-On-Foods stands today. Other original tenants included the Country Squire Restaurant, Doig’s Accessories, Grassie-Firbanks, Sound Village, Cowtown, Booklegger, Bourne Shoes, and the Malt Shop.
The mall was the product of careful planning. During the previous decade, the population of Vernon’s trade area had nearly doubled, gross income had increased by 278 percent, and retail trade volume reached a record $125 million by 1973–74. Developers chose the location just off Highway 97 to attract both local residents and shoppers travelling from neighbouring communities.
Construction began in 1974 on previously undeveloped land under the supervision of Bill Hendry, who had immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1951. One memorable challenge involved the arrival of the project’s 85-ton crane. Shipped by rail from Vancouver, the crane unexpectedly passed through Vernon without stopping. After watching it roll by, Hendry caught up with the train in Armstrong and arranged for the crane to be returned so construction could continue.
More than five decades later, Village Green Mall remains a fixture in Vernon’s commercial landscape. While many of its original stores have changed, the mall continues to serve generations of shoppers, standing as a reminder of a period when Vernon was expanding rapidly and investing confidently in its future.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans