'It's pretty bad': Halifax mall retailers reeling after major flood
Scores of retailers at a busy shopping mall in downtown Halifax are counting their losses after a major flooding event on the weekend, and some worry they won't recover.
Water from a broken pipe started rushing into Scotia Square early Saturday morning, but the damage was already done by the time it was shut off.
"Approximately 20 tenant spaces were impacted, the majority of which are retail and services," said Elizabeth Engram, senior manager, marketing and public relations for Crombie REIT, the owners of the complex.
"Flooding was caused by a broken water line that has since been repaired. We're consulting with third-party experts and continue to investigate the cause of the break," said Engram, adding that the food court wasn't damaged and remained operational. "We continue to work closely with our tenants to address any impacts to their space.”
The incident was heartbreaking for Jessica Bowden, owner of the clothing store UbU4U who says she just recovered from another flooding incident at the mall back in August - and she's only been open a year.
"There was a pipe that broke or a pipe that was spewing sewage in the back room of my store. That closed me down," said Bowden from her home in Timberlea. "I had literally just got my store back up again about two weeks ago.”
"I opened my store Dec. 5 of last year. And, I may be closing Dec. 5 this year," she said, her voice breaking.
"So, that's how devastating it is. It's pretty bad."
How and why it all transpired is less clear.
Halifax Water says its crews were alerted to the problem early Saturday morning.
"Our emergency phone was contacted at approximately 3:00 in the morning Saturday. We had emergency crews on site as quickly as they could be to find the source of the leak, isolate it, and shut it off," said Jake Fulton, a spokesperson for the utility. "It was determined the leak was taking place on private property, and it was coming from a privately-owned pipe.
"Scotia Square Mall is a very large building with a number of water services into it. They're not a small water service.”
With many employees unable to go to work, much of the impacted building was very quiet Monday morning.
John Abbass, owner of Econo Color, had been in and out of the building a number of times, surveying the damage and watching the cleanup, but the end result doesn't get any better.
"It's a complete write off," he said. "The water was everywhere. The ceiling's gone and everything."
Abbass said the business had been in the mall for 11 years, but not much longer.
"We're going to relocate," he told CTV News.
Engram was unable to provide a possible time frame for re-opening.
"We cannot confirm a date yet; our team is working diligently to reopen the full complex as soon as possible," she said.
The mall can do what the mall can do because they're losing, too," said Bowden. “At the end of the day, they're a major corporation, We're a small business, up and coming."
An unfortunate reality for some retailers heading into the Christmas season - a flood of losses at the worst time of year.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP
As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books.
Bird flu, measles top 2025 concerns for Canada's chief public health officer
As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year.
DEVELOPING Body found in wheel well of plane at Maui airport
A person was found dead in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight to Maui on Tuesday.
Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect
The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who has been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified.
Christmas shooting at Phoenix airport leaves 3 people wounded
Police are investigating a Christmas shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix that left three people injured by gunfire.
Ship remains stalled on St-Lawrence River north of Montreal
A ship that lost power on the St. Lawrence River on Christmas Eve, remains stationary north of Montreal.
Your kid is spending too much time on their phone. Here's what to do about it
Wondering what your teen is up to when you're not around? They are likely on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat, according to a new report.
Bird flu kills more than half the big cats at a Washington sanctuary
Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.
6,000 inmates stage Christmas Day escape from high-security Mozambique prison
At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique's capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country's police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence continue to engulf the country.