August 30, 1999

Eaton’s, The Swan Song - THE COMMENTARY

By Joseph Planta

Growing up in Vancouver, one of the things I enjoyed most as a kid, were my trips to Eaton’s. It was always something big for me, because it meant going to The Marine Room or something cool for me to buy. With the recent news being made about the Eaton’s chain faltering, it is safe to say it will never have an impact like that it once had. Perhaps, it lost some of that impact, thus now it’s no longer viable as a business. I liked going to Eaton’s, because it had everything you could need, well almost everything. The Marine Room was always a great place to grab lunch. It was filled by old people having lunch, kids, but most importantly I could always expect what I’ve always known.

Hearing of a failing business, is always disheartening. The death of the Department Store is too. There isn’t a demand anymore for big stores like Eaton’s or The Bay. Malls seem to fill that demand, because malls are being built all over the place, not department stores. The demise of Woodwards earlier in the decade and now Eaton’s, reshapes our cultural landscape. As Eaton’s, closes its doors across our country, we have to take a moment and see how much of this is blamed on mismanagement. In a delicate economy, one has to hedge their bets. Those in the top offices at Eaton’s, didn’t and now are robbing Canada of a cultural landmark.

It had to happen and it was bound to happen. Now that it seems so inevitable, I miss it. Take another bow, the curtain is descending on a veritable piece of Canadiana.

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