A Victoria-area Walmart employee confirmed a third Walmart is coming to the region.
The employee – who did not want to be named – said employees were made aware of a Walmart Supercentre coming to the Hillside Shopping Centre in Victoria.
In February 2019, Bentall Kennedy, the commercial real estate firm that owns Hillside, debunked rumours about a Walmart coming to the shopping centre.
READ ALSO: No deal between Walmart and Hillside
Wayne Popowich, managing partner of Canadian retail services for Bentall Kennedy, said there was no deal to lease the space at the time and that it was unknown if the former Sears space would be leased as one store or broken into smaller spaces.
On Thursday, Popowich said Bentall Kennedy has a commitment for the space but is unable to say anything more due to contractual obligations.
READ ALSO: What should go in the vacant space at Hillside mall?
There are already two Walmarts in the Greater Victoria region, with one at Saanich’s Uptown mall and another in Langford.
The vacant space left by Sears at Hillside shopping centre is about 150,000 square-feet. It is of comparable size to the Canadian Tire super centre in the same shopping centre.
- With files from Travis Paterson