Video: A look back at Bramalea City Centre 50 years ago in Brampton

A lot has changed in Brampton over the 50 years since the Bramalea City Centre first opened its doors, including the fashion.

Shoppers in Brampton were first welcomed to the Bramalea City Centre 50 years ago this week, and the Peel Archives is turning their time machine to March 28, 1973, for a look at the mall’s grand opening and some of the funky and fashionable style trends back in the day.

Ahead of the grand opening, Bramalea City Centre put out two special newspaper advertising sections featuring some of the hottest fashion at the time, like platform shoes, worsted wool suits, and men’s ascots.

The video from the Peel Archives takes a look at the advertisements and the fashion, and there’s even a fun little disco-style backing track in the video to help get that nostalgia flowing.

Bramalea City Centre will be celebrating another historic milestone next month with the opening of a 25-year time capsule. Staff members at the centre put their favourite belongings in the capsule back on April 25, 1998, which will be opened later next month.

The mall has had multiple facelifts over the years, including an extensive renovation and expansion that started in 2004. And Bramalea City Centre could see another transformation with several new apartment buildings, an urban plaza and more upgrades.

The proposed redesign could see the demolition of Bramalea City Centre’s now-shuttered Sears department store to make way for four apartment buildings, a commercial building and an urban plaza for 1,000 new units and approximately 650 square metres of new commercial space, according to a development proposal to the City.

The proposal also includes a two-storey underground parking structure which would accommodate 360 parking spaces, and the development would also share the shopping mall’s existing parking garage for a total target parking rate of approximately 0.7 parking spaces per unit.