West Edmonton Mall: A Complete Oral History - Best Edmonton Mall 

I worked for a restaurant on BRBNST for a few years and became friends with one of the Galaxyland ride mechanics. After talking about how they maintain the Mindbender, and the absolutely ludicrous amount of time they spend on it to keep it safe, he told me that their break room has photos, names, and news clippings of the accident covering a wall. He told me that they walk past it every day, reminding them why they do what they do, and how important it is to make sure to do the job right. No matter how tedious, annoying, or uncomfortable the job. I found that really comforting and inspiring personally.

This was a live presentation at the Edmonton & District Historical Society back in January of 2020. Thanks to all those who came, it was awesome meeting all of you!

RIP Heritage Mall. Spent so much of my teen years there. It had a lot of the same character WEM had in the 80’s.

My comment is long but worth a read (maybe lol) The history is so interesting to me. The feeling of nostalgia and remembering the things that have changed and been removed from the mall over the decades is so fascinating. However, this video made me a little emotional at the end. I don't just remember what it was like back in the 80s and 90s, I remember being young and full of pure joy everytime my parents took me there. I have so many fun memories, I would compare my relationship with the mall to someone who grew up in Los Angeles and had access to Disneyland on a regular basis. As a kid it wasn't just a mall but a place to escape and get lost in the magic and excitement knowing it was the world's largest mall..

I live here in Edmonton and i had no idea about some of this stuff looking forward to watching this premier

There is a Polaroid of me as baby, so probably 1986, of me with a lion cub taken in the mall

Great presentation! This takes me back growing up. I had so many memories at WEM! - Going to the cheap theatres with my family located in the phase 3 food court and also another one near phase 1 food court - Going to Play Me after school to look at video games but never bought any since they were overpriced - Getting my first bike at Canadian Tire which was then replaced by many things that couldn’t survive at that location like a Science centre which is now T&T - Looking at that aquarium of fish in that tunnel area (International Marketplace) which Collector’s Edge and Antique Photo Parlour used to be and you could take an elevator leading into Fantasyland - Being amazed when visiting Planet Hollywood for the first time which was located in Phase 3 food court which was then replaced right after with a 3D ride - Being scared as a kid watching all those birds behind that glass except when the peacock would open its feathers revealing all the colors - Watching people race on the go-kart through the glass located where Crunch Fitness is now. I think before that it was Kidtropolis. - Visiting San Francisco as a kid and looking at the dirty section with my friends. Haha

A very minor attraction, but does anybody else remember those puppet shows next to the main entrance of Fantasyland, by the full-size McDonald's? I think there was even a toy store next to the McDonald's.

Considering that no one will be visiting the mall today (i.e. COVID-19), this could not have come at a better time, thank you!

That was a treat to watch, thank you for this.

I had the privilege of working at not one, but two iconic WEM locations. First at Playdium, then later at HMV. I was never a great employee at either establishment, but I am now glad that I got to work at WEM during it's golden years.

This is so cool 😎 you’re a great RU-vidr 👍

i really miss how the mall use to look

What a great presentation. Well done. I really enjoyed it. I am an Australian that lived in Vancouver in 1989/90. In 1990 I visited WEM and returned in 1992 on a visit. Go forward 30 years and I told my daughter about it. We visited Canada in Dec 22 and she really wanted to see WEM.... so we took a flight and stayed at the hotel there for 3 days. It was a bit sad. No more Mind Bender. No more lazy river. What updates they have done since 1990 seem to be superficial and taken away from the "WOW" factors. .

Your opening about Heritage Mall made me feel old.😢😂

My favorite store when WEM first opened was a small curio store just outside of Sears called "Good Grief!", that sold licensed Peanuts and Sanrio merchandise. I would admire every square inch of the merchandise when my family was there. I think it only lasted a couple of years before it closed. Charlie Brown and the gang was already on its way out by the early 80's.

This brought me back to when I was a kid. This mall has always been in my life since I was old enough to remember it. I was really obsessed with the tall ball machine as a child my mom and I would get basket Robbins ice cream in that area, and I remember when the new hmv opened when I was like 16 and it was so cool. It also got a lot of visits from people from like spruce grove as we had nothing in terms of selection, and entertainment for kids and such. God I love this mall. Glad I live close to it. I know this mall inside out and upside down.

WEM was glorious back in the day! Now it's a tragic crumbling ruin of its former self...

Your videos are AMAZING. Never once been to the mall but your history of it has made me fascinated.

So excited!

Waiting the whole day for this vid was so worth it and I would love to meet you in person someday

I worked the Drop Of Doom ride in 1987. I had a great time back then at the mall.

Outstanding. Your channel always gives me the feels for the old West Ed from back in the day.

Well worth the wait

These videos are always great, friendly and informational ✅

Great work. I don't remember the water park river as a lazy river. I remember it as the tube ride and it was fairly bumpy on both slides of the ride. One slide was bumpier than the other

Fantastic presentation, thank you!

Great history lesson good mix of humour very interesting!!!!

The bungee picture is ME!! lol

You did an awesome job on this presentation. Was searching for more info on this mall and this video showed up. Thanks!

I love your videos! I just started watching yesterday but now I can’t stop!

My question is if you die, would you want your remains be at West Edmonton Mall?

Best Edmonton Mall for mayor! Lol

The beige colored attractions made the Blue Bullet such an epic slide It held this mysterious allure because it looked so different. I was thought I’d fly out, but it was so fast and fun

Thank you so much for an amazing presentation. It is great to learn about the history of WEM. I live in Calgary now and the malls here just don’t have the same type of history! Any chance you can please do a historical of Westmount Mall? The first mall in Edmonton. Similar to the video you did for Heritage Mall! Thank you kindly! 😀

I wish I came! Me and my sister are huge fans! We’ve learned a lot from you! Now when I go to WEM I notice things I wouldn’t have otherwise. Thanks for your videos.

Congratulations

Thank you.

I think I remember there was a driving range on the roof next to the water park, late 90s early 2000 ,does anyone remember that .

Yes!!......I also worked at the mall, in the mid to late 80s. Work in a small Mexican restaurant......it was called Carlos O'Graidy and a French restaurant.......Café De'France on the.......upper level floor......where the fancy French stores were located. The Mexican restaurant was on lower level.......Burbein St.

Very cool video! (Like all your videos!) I wish that the city of Edmonton's website had interactive historical imagery maps, so I could jump around time and see the changes throughout the years. (They should take a cue from maps.calgary.ca!) And I just wanted to point out a wee error, your description says WEM opened in 1983 instead of 1981. Whoopsies! Again, great video, thanks!

How about a video on the history of the plant life in the mall? Did they ever have coconut palms? Who maintains etc. I loved looking at the miniature models of the mall when I was kid.

Hey Matt love your videos. I miss how the old mall looked and felt. There was so much more character in it. Like bourbon street, the whale in the middle of the mall, and the shooting fountains etc... I hate the new food court just another cookie cutter food court, no more bridge to cross with water over your head, no more high ceilings its very warm when you go there with all the cooking and no where for the warm air to go. Can you please do a video of t&t supermarket and the China town there??? T&T is a big anchor in the mall it's the only supermarket there tons of people everyday. Before that it was the brick I believe and before that it was Canadian tire??? I'm sure you could dig something up about that! Also do you remember the market above galaxy land? There was actually another entrance into galaxy land from upstairs going in.

nice job bud

Heck yesssss

I will love to go to West Edmonton Mall so badly

Watching this 11 hours before I have to go to work at wem ahahah

Very enjoyable. The last thing I was expecting was Stalin, but there you go!

I was there when fantasy land opened and my mother worked at ( sea world ) in the food court, grew up there for 26 years,ask me, I was there 3 blocks away in Elmwood

This was awesome, Matt! Fantastic research, as always! I'm sad I couldn't be there in person to see you. Was it nerve-wracking speaking in front of a live audience?

Wasn't there a movie shot at WEM several years back, on a Christmas theme? They said it was slated for some release - and I never did see that happen. It would be interesting to see that.

Can you guys do a video on CrossIron Mall

Best Edmonton Mall What Would You Do If You Owned West Edmonton Mall?

I remember biking on the dirt hills years BEFORE WEM was built....and later, when phase 1 opened, they actually had monkeys! ( upper level, near Sears - if memory serves ) I will never forget walking by their big cage just as one of the monkeys started vigorously - "pleasuring" himself.

My dad was part of the team who made the mall....I was born the same year

Honest Opinion Incoming: Remember the awful absolutely terrifying floating clowns that used to be on Bourbon St. I was like 4 and I still writhe with fear at the thought of it. That aside I feel as though the mall has lost its character and charm. All the remodeling that has been done has left the mall felling bland, empty and lifeless. I remember from my earliest memories how much more flare, color and vibrance the mall had. That magic feeling. The only places that still have that grand feeling is the Santa Maria lake (even though its clearly rotting away) and the attractions. The rest is so commercial. What a lost opportunity, theres so much more the city could do with it.. but I get it "bills" we all got em. :/

I love WEM I go there a lot it is so fun 🦄😍😃😊

Does anyone know the name of the song that plays in the old dolphin ad footage, at the 30:00 mark? It's awfully familiar to me.

Does anyone remember the name of the bakery that was located at the beginning of Bourbon Street? I loved that place and it just vanished one day.

Can someone tell me how to find pics of the mall being built it seems to be hard to find pics

Didn’t they have flamingos as well?

Technically American Dream Meadowlands has also stolen the record of North America's largest mall from West Edmonton Mall. You should do a comparison on both locations as soon as the pandemic is over and everything at American Dream Meadowlands has opened.

I wonder why he was muted talking about the fountain in phase one? What the heck is under it now?

:D

Was this video today?

Cool video, but a lot of the mall history is missing. Could have gone way more indepth

Please stop with the premeries.