Latest news with #WestgateMall
CBC
27-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Decades-old barbershop to shut its doors ahead of Westgate Mall demolition
One corner of Ottawa's Westgate Mall that's been filled with the sound of hair trimmers and laughter will soon fall silent, as Ramon Carballude and his barbershop prepare for the end of an era. Westgate Barber Shop will close its doors Thursday after decades of business. Carballude, who joined the barber shop in 1968 shortly after immigrating to Canada, says that while he feels "terrible" about the closure, it's inevitable. The city's oldest mall, located on the southwest corner of Merivale Road and Carling Avenue, is slated to close Oct. 31. It will be demolished to make way for a grocery store and residential towers, according to River ward Coun. Riley Brockington. For Carballude, the closure represents the end of decades of memories. 'All my life' Now 85, Carballude learned his trade in a small town in Galicia, Spain, before coming to Canada in 1965. Back then, barbers needed a licence to operate. After a few years working in construction, Carballude passed his Canadian licensing exams in 1968 on his first try and began working at the shop. Over the years he's done thousands of haircuts and made connections with people across the country. Customers have come from as far as Nanaimo, B.C., several times a year for his services, he said. "We try to be nice to the people. And people are nice to you," he said. "They don't get the same service in other places." Carballude plans to keep cutting hair, moving about a kilometre west on Carling Avenue to a new location owned by his long-time employees. It will be called The New Westgate Barber Shop. Still, he says, he'll miss the memories. "I've been here all my life," he said. "I deal with the people. I talk to the people. And people are nice. Why [do] you want [us] to disappear?" Juan Vo, one of the co-owners of the new location, said he's nervous about starting fresh. He's been working at the Westgate Mall shop for 27 years. "I will miss it very much," he said. "A lot of people come and go, you know." Community has 'evolving needs' The mall is owned by RioCan, an investment trust with properties across Canada. According to an emailed statement, RioCan confirmed all tenants — save for the Shoppers Drug Mart — will be required to move out by the fall as part of a "revitalization plan to support the community's evolving needs." "We are grateful to all our tenants for their long-standing support and presence at Westgate and remain committed to a smooth transition," the statement said. Brockington said the mall isn't as busy as it used to be. He added RioCan has been clear with the city about its process, and he has engaged in soliciting feedback from people in his ward. He said the revitalization plan will help implement the city's long-term strategic plans for urban intensification. "The city has to make room over 30 years for 400,000 more people, so we have to do our part. And when you look at a major artery like Carling, that's where you expect height and density to be built." Still, he says he understands the sentimental value in Westgate Mall. "As a councillor you have to thread the needle between respecting established mature communities and the need to facilitate infill and more growth. And that isn't always easy." ARCHIVES | Westgate opens in Ottawa 10 years ago Westgate was the first mall in Ottawa when it opened in the 1950s.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
End of an era for Westgate Barber Shop, but its legacy lives on nearby
Ramon Carballude, 85, has been a fixture at the Westgate barbershop since 1968. The Spanish-born barber arrived as a young man and never left the chair. After 70 years of trims, shaves and friendly chats, an Ottawa staple in barbering is closing its doors. Westgate Barber Shop, one of the original businesses in the city's first shopping mall, shuts down at the end of July. But its spirit, and its most familiar face, aren't going far. Ramon Carballude, 85, has been a fixture at the shop since 1968. The Spanish-born barber arrived as a young man and never left the chair. 'We became one of the best. We have people from Vancouver who come back here,' he says, reflecting on the shop's loyal clientele. 'All these towns around, people come here. It's nice. Beautiful place. Busy.' Carballude worked his way up from employee to co-owner in the 1970s and has been at the helm for the past 25 years. Through it all, he says he's never worried about business. 'You try to please the people best you can,' he says. 'You do a good job and people want to come back.' Customer loyalty has been key. Dick Logan has been getting his hair cut by Carballude for years. 'I've been coming here since the mall opened in 1955,' says Logan. 'And we all keep coming back to this man because we know we got a good haircut.' 'Obviously, they give a good haircut.' Says Brent McElheran, a 25-year customer The closure of the barbershop is connected to the shutdown of Westgate Mall, which will not be extending leases past October. The shop's last day at its current location will be July 31. But it's not a full goodbye. Hoang Vo, who has worked at the barbershop for 27 years, is taking over the business and reopening just down the road, at 1572 Carling Ave., on Aug. 5. 'We have long-term customers, and we don't feel like they're customers anymore,' says Vo. 'We just feel like friends.' And Carballude—he's not quite ready to hang up the scissors. 'He has a lot of experience, and he doesn't want to stop, so we asked Ramon to come to the new location,' says Vo. 'For him to come work with us, that's an honour.' While Carballude is sad to see his shop go, he's happy to keep providing quality cuts. After 57 years behind the chair, Ramon Carballude is snipping away at what he loves, just at a new address. 'I enjoy conversations with people that way,' he says. 'And I don't feel like a quitter either.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect wanted in fatal shooting of 2 teens in Brockton may have changed his appearance
A gun was found in the bushes at the Westgate Mall in Brockton in an area where two teenagers were fatally shot over the weekend and the suspected shooter, who remains at large, may have changed his appearance, Boston 25 News has learned. Homicide detectives and Brockton police have sought and obtained an arrest warrant for 22-year-old Davinci Leonard, who was added to the Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Fusion Center's Most Wanted List, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced during a Monday afternoon news conference. Leonard is wanted on charges of two counts of murder, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possessing ammunition without an FID card, and carrying a loaded firearm without a license. Investigators say he may be armed and dangerous. A Boston 25 News source said Leonard may have possibly cut his hair since fleeing the scene of the shooting on Saturday night. 'Turn yourself in, turn yourself in immediately. Let the process begin,' Cruz urged Leonard. 'Two families are destroyed right now. We don't need anybody else's family to get hurt.' Investigators were questioning witnesses outside a Starbucks Monday night, where a Boston 25 News source confirmed a gun was found in the bushes nearby. Police are now looking into whether that was the gun used to shoot and kill 18-year-old Cevannah Alvarez and 15-year-old Tymari Albertson in a parking lot Saturday night. Officers responding to a report of a shooting outside the Chipotle restaurant at the bustling Westgate Mall just after 7 p.m. Saturday found a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, Cruz said. The boy, who Cruz identified as Albertson, was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton. The young woman, Alvarez, was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died from her injuries. Cruz noted that the victims were not related. Authorities described Leonard as 5 feet, 9 inches tall, about 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. 'He grabbed some clothes and has not been seen since,' Cruz said of Leonard. 'He is currently the only suspect in this shooting.' Many people were at the grand opening of the Urban Air Adventure Park when a fight broke out between Leonard and Albertson, resulting in the shooting, according to Cruz. 'The event that Saturday night was a tragedy,' Cruz exclaimed. 'This is a senseless loss of life.' One of the teens was a student at Brockton High School. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Champion High School student following an incident of violence in our community yesterday,' Brockton Public Schools said in a statement on Sunday. 'We are working to support their family however we can and will be making resources available to students and staff grieving this loss.' Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan said grief counselors were made available for students. 'As Mayor of the city of Brockton, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and classmates of the two victims. This tragedy is an active police investigation,' Sullivan said in a statement Sunday night. 'The Brockton Public Schools, led by Superintendent Dr. Priya Tahiliani, will offer grief counseling services to students and staff impacted by this tragic event. This type of senseless violence will not be tolerated in our city.' Anyone who sees Leonard or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Massachusetts State Police Fusion Center at 1-800-Kapture. An investigation into the double shooting remains active and ongoing. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Shooting at Brockton Mall leaves two teens dead
BROCKTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Two teens were shot in a deadly shooting at a outside a busy mall in Brockton Saturday night. New Hampshire man arrested for allegedly trafficking firearms into Massachusetts Police in Brockton say a large fight turned deadly when a 15-year-old boy and 18-year-old woman were shot outside the Westgate Mall, according to NBC Boston. Their identities have not been released. When police arrived, they found one victim suffering from gunshot wounds in front of Starbucks, the other in front of Chipotle. Local and state police are investigating the shooting. The Plymouth District Attorney is not commenting on a motive or potential suspects at this time. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Search for suspect in shooting that killed 2 teenagers in Brockton continues
The search for the suspect in connection with a double shooting that killed two teens in Brockton continues. According to police, a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman were shot and killed Saturday night after a fight broke out at the Westgate Mall in Brockton. Witnesses say a lot of kids were at the grand opening of the Urban Air Adventure Park across the street shortly before the shooting. Police say several teenagers were fighting outside the Chipotle and Starbucks when shots were fired around 7 p.m. with dozens of teens nearby. 'It's really sad to see, it's like this neighborhood it just sucks all the young kids with the guns just don't make any sense, this was a night for everybody to have fun and now they're out here shooting,' said Renee Williams who was near the scene on Saturday. One of the teens was a student at Brockton high school. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Champion High School student following an incident of violence in our community yesterday,' Brockton Public Schools said in a statement on Sunday. 'We are working to support their family however we can and will be making resources available to students and staff grieving this loss.' The Plymouth County District Attorney's office is leading this investigation and hasn't said whether any arrests have been made yet. The victims have also not been identified. 'As Mayor of the city of Brockton, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and classmates of the two victims. This tragedy is an active police investigation, under the direction of Police Chief Brenda Perez, in conjunction with the Plymouth County District Attorney's office,' said Mayor Robert Sullivan in a statement Sunday night. 'The Brockton Public Schools, led by Superintendent Dr. Priya Tahiliani, will offer grief counseling services to students and staff impacted by this tragic event. This type of senseless violence will not be tolerated in our city.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
