Following World War Two, the suburban shopping centre embodied consumerism of the period. Designed to accommodate the whole family, shopping centres expressed the post-war notion of the “good life,” whereby all manner of goods and services were offered in a relaxed, informal, and pleasant atmosphere. [1]

When the Westgate shopping centre opened in May 1955, this kind of shopping experience was offered to the residents of Ottawa’s west-end, complete with modern stores, enjoyable music and ample parking to accommodate increasing automobile ownership. Amongst the offerings at Westgate were Freiman’s Department Store, Steinberg's Supermarket, and Tip Top Tailors.

Westgate was also home the popular refreshment spot, The Milk Bar. Described by The Ottawa Journal as “completely modern in every respect,” the shop was noted for its large plate glass windows, soft green walls, white enamelled woodwork, matching green and white tile floors, stainless steel appliances, and red leather and chrome stools. [2]

First managed by Myrtle MacDonald of Clark’s Dairy, the dairy bar offered everything from butter, eggs, and sour cream to take-home containers of ice cream.

[Fig.2] Clark's Dairy Bar at Westgate Shopping Centre (1958) – Ross Dunn/Wikimedia Commons.

At the serving counter, patrons could indulge their sweet tooth with a menu featuring ten ice cream flavours (including Cherry, Peacan and Butter Scotch Ripple) and the option of ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes, and sodas.

Capturing that family friendly suburban feeling, advertisements urged shoppers to “bring the children in for the best ice cream cone in town” or stop by when out for a Sunday drive. [3]

On the first anniversary of their opening, the shop “proudly boast[ed] a never-ending flow of customers…that kept them on the hop.” [4] By 1965, the milk bar remained as popular as ever, with an average of 3,000 cones served on an average summer day. [5] In the following decade, however, this familiar favorite among shoppers found itself amid a changing suburban landscape and shifting consumer preferences.

A significant change came in 1972 when Freiman’s Department Store left Westgate, leaving the shopping centre without an anchor department store. In February 1978, it was announced that renovations were set to begin at Westgate to give it a warm appearance. These renovations included enclosing the shopping centre and landscaping, as well as the addition of new stores, such as Shoppers Drug Mart, and the closing of others including The Milk Bar. [6] Once considered “one of the shopping centre’s most striking assets,” following the renovations, it was no longer a part of the newly modernized Westgate shopping experience.