Queen West MEC

MEC opening massive store on Queen West

Say goodbye to the random parking lot at Queen Street West and Soho, if you can even remember what it looked like. 

Construction is now well underway on the new Mountain Equipment Co-op store in downtown Toronto, right between Lush Cosmetics and The Black Bull, where once stood the famous Queen West Hug Me Tree.

An opening date has yet to be announced, but we do know that this place is meant to replace the store's existing downtown location at 400 King Street West.

New MEC store

Image via Urban Toronto Forum contributor Avenue/Urban Toronto.

That store, opened in 1998, is about 42,000 square feet. The new store on Queen will be similar in size, at 40,000 square feet, but the hope is that it'll have some badass new features – like the rock-climbing wall at one of its Vancouver locations.

MEC's new Queen West location will also have three levels of parking below it, as well as a daycare, a green roof and office space atop the primary retail store.

Urban Toronto reports that MEC intends to have the new store built by the end of 2018, but with construction finally just beginning in January, it could be tight.

MEC previously opened a Toronto store near Sheppard and Bayview in 2016.

Lead photo by

Urban Toronto/City of Toronto submission


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Sports & Play

MLB hitting coach under investigation over shocking video shot on Toronto flight

Here's how much it costs to see a Leafs vs Bruins playoff game in Toronto

Toronto marathon shutting down roads for two days instead of one this year

Toronto Raptors player banned for life from NBA

Here's when the amusement park on the Toronto Islands is opening for the summer

Toronto Blue Jays fan in wheelchair calls out Ticketmaster

Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing back playoff tailgates and they're totally free

The top 10 bowling alleys in Toronto