Cadillac Fairview has announced two additional retailers for the former Nordstrom department store at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto, with Quebec-based Imaginaire planning its first Toronto location and WINNERS taking nearly 40,000 square feet. The announcement adds two major retail tenants to a redevelopment of the shopping centre’s south wing that will also include the previously announced Splitsville Bowl entertainment venue.
The three businesses will occupy approximately 100,000 square feet combined within the former Nordstrom, which encompassed about 140,000 square feet before the American department store chain exited Canada in 2023. All three are targeting fall 2027 openings, bringing specialty hobby retail, off-price fashion and entertainment into the former department-store space.
Imaginaire will open a 26,000-square-foot location on Level 1, offering board games, trading cards, sports cards, collectibles, manga, puzzles and related merchandise. Splitsville Bowl will also occupy Level 1, while WINNERS will take nearly 40,000 square feet on Level 2.
Sheila Jennings, General Manager of CF Sherway Gardens, said the additions reflect Cadillac Fairview’s efforts to expand the property’s retail and entertainment offerings. “By continuously reinventing our retail and experiential offerings, our goal is to create a vibrant destination where every visit delivers unforgettable moments,” she said.
Imaginaire Expands into Toronto Following National Growth Plans
Imaginaire’s arrival at Sherway Gardens marks a significant step in the Quebec retailer’s expansion into Ontario’s largest market. Founded in 1986, the family-owned business has grown into a multi-category specialty retailer offering collectibles, trading cards, board games, manga, comics, coins and related merchandise.
Founder Benoît Doyon told Retail Insider in an October interview that Imaginaire was preparing to accelerate its Canadian expansion, targeting two to three new stores annually beginning in 2027. Ontario was identified as a priority, with opportunities also being considered in Atlantic Canada, Alberta and British Columbia.
The company’s stores have been growing as its merchandise assortment expands. Doyon pointed to Imaginaire’s Sherbrooke location, which increased from approximately 5,000 to 15,000 square feet, as an example of the additional space required for its evolving product categories.
Imaginaire marked its 40th anniversary in 2026 with the opening of its tenth store, a 20,000-square-foot location at Montreal Eaton Centre representing an investment exceeding $2.5 million. The store introduced an expanded children’s assortment and a glass-enclosed display area for rare collectibles.
At 26,000 square feet, Sherway Gardens will be larger than the Montreal Eaton Centre location and Imaginaire’s approximately 20,000-square-foot store at CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa, which opened in October 2023. The Sherway opening will mark the retailer’s Toronto debut, although it already operates in Ontario.
Doyon previously explained that entering new markets required adjustments to merchandise selection and operations. Experiences in Ottawa, Pointe-Claire and Laval helped Imaginaire better understand local shopping patterns and serve a broader mix of customers, including tourists and occasional visitors.
Those lessons have influenced how the company evaluates shopping centres and store locations. At Sherway, Imaginaire will introduce a large specialty retail format to a property known for its fashion, luxury and lifestyle tenants, although the retailer has not yet disclosed its interior layout or potential gaming and event facilities.
WINNERS and Splitsville Add Retail and Entertainment Uses
WINNERS will occupy nearly 40,000 square feet on Level 2 of the former Nordstrom, introducing a substantial off-price retail component. The TJX Canada banner offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products and home merchandise, with assortments that change regularly.
The Sherway announcement follows another WINNERS commitment in a former Nordstrom property operated by Cadillac Fairview. At CF Chinook Centre in Calgary, WINNERS is taking approximately 33,000 square feet on the lower level alongside a 15,000-square-foot Old Navy, while SportChek will occupy approximately 66,000 square feet above.
Chinook general manager Darren Milne told Retail Insider in October that the redevelopment would allow SportChek to combine its men’s and women’s stores into a larger Destination Sport location. Old Navy is scheduled to return to Chinook in mid-November 2026, with SportChek and WINNERS expected in spring 2027.
The two WINNERS commitments demonstrate the banner’s role in repurposing large department-store spaces at major Canadian malls. Cadillac Fairview has not indicated whether the Sherway store will be an additional location in the market or a relocation.
Splitsville Bowl will occupy approximately 34,000 square feet on Level 1 of the former Nordstrom, adding what Cadillac Fairview describes as a flagship entertainment destination to Sherway Gardens. Retail Insider first reported the project in July, when plans were announced for 22 lanes of 10-pin bowling, an interactive arcade, food and beverage offerings, and spaces for families, social gatherings and corporate events.
Together, the three tenants introduce different uses into premises previously occupied by one department store. Their combined footprint represents approximately 100,000 square feet of the former Nordstrom’s roughly 140,000 square feet.
Cadillac Fairview has not disclosed how the difference between those figures will be allocated, including whether additional tenants, common circulation areas or other building modifications are planned. Subdividing a department store among several businesses can require changes to entrances, corridors and servicing, although specific construction details for Sherway have not been announced.
Cadillac Fairview Advances Nordstrom Redevelopments Across Canada
The Sherway announcement follows major leasing commitments at other former Nordstrom properties. As Retail Insider reported in October, replacement tenants have been identified at all six former full-line Nordstrom locations in Canada, although the projects are at different stages.
At CF Chinook Centre, the former approximately 140,000-square-foot Nordstrom is being divided among SportChek, Old Navy and WINNERS, whose announced store areas total approximately 114,000 square feet. In Ottawa, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm are scheduled to open in spring 2027 on Level 3 of the former 157,000-square-foot Nordstrom at CF Rideau Centre, although their individual sizes and the full space allocation have not been disclosed.
At CF Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver, Cadillac Fairview is redeveloping the former approximately 230,000-square-foot Nordstrom for several major fashion retailers. Simons is preparing a 92,000-square-foot store, Aritzia is developing a roughly 41,800-square-foot flagship, and UNIQLO announced in October that it will open a location of approximately 37,000 square feet.
UNIQLO is targeting spring 2027, while Simons has indicated a fall 2027 opening. Aritzia’s multi-level flagship is also planned for 2027, with the three retailers collectively accounting for approximately 170,800 square feet of the former department store.
Elsewhere, the former Nordstrom at CF Toronto Eaton Centre has been divided among Simons, Eataly and Nike, while Simons has taken approximately 118,000 square feet across the first two levels of the former Nordstrom at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The different tenant combinations reflect the individual requirements of each property, from large fashion flagships in Vancouver to home furnishings in Ottawa and entertainment at Sherway.
Additional Retail Changes at Sherway Gardens
The Nordstrom redevelopment is taking place alongside other significant changes at CF Sherway Gardens. T&T Supermarket has separately announced a 40,000-square-foot grocery store expected to open in summer 2027, bringing fresh produce, Asian grocery products and a ready-to-eat hot food bar to the shopping centre.
T&T will occupy the former Pusateri’s Fine Foods premises on the lower level, previously associated with the Saks Fifth Avenue department store. The location is separate from the former Nordstrom and is not included in its redevelopment footprint.
Sherway has also recently welcomed Australian fashion retailer Ever New, eyewear brand Bailey Nelson, and Italian brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia. These additions broaden the shopping centre’s tenant mix as Cadillac Fairview prepares for the larger redevelopment openings in 2027.
The latest Nordstrom announcement establishes the principal uses planned for approximately 100,000 square feet of the former department store. Further details about the final layout and any additional leasing have yet to be confirmed ahead of the anticipated fall 2027 openings.
