Shoppers Drug Mart

Partnerships or Tenants

This development is anchored by Shoppers Drug Mart as the primary tenant, with a CIBC bank branch as a secondary tenant, illustrating NIOT’s ability to foster multi-tenant partnerships. The collaboration between Shoppers and CIBC at the same site creates a convenient one-stop hub for customers (pharmacy, health clinic, postal services, ATM and banking services all in one location). NIOT facilitated this arrangement by designing flexible retail space that met both tenants’ operational requirements. Each tenant operates independently but benefits from shared infrastructure (parking, signage pylon, site access). NIOT’s role as the long-term landlord ensures a coordinated approach to property management, benefiting both tenants.

Beyond the tenants themselves, NIOT partnered with municipal authorities and community stakeholders during development. The project involved working closely with the City of Toronto’s planning department for approvals and with the Don Mills Residents Inc. to address local concerns about traffic and signage. NIOT’s partnership with Pride Signs Ltd. (signage contractor) is noted in city records for the installation of Shoppers Drug Mart’s illuminated signsAdditionally, NIOT coordinated with Canada Post to integrate a postal outlet within Shoppers, strengthening the store’s role as a community service point. This multi-faceted partnership model – involving tenant, landlord, community, and service providers – is a hallmark of NIOT’s approach. It creates value for the tenant (steady foot traffic from bank customers and vice versa) and for the community (a synergistic retail offering). NIOT’s national relationship with Shoppers Drug Mart also means that best practices from this and other projects are shared and implemented across provinces. For instance, prototype design elements and leasing arrangements refined at Don Mills have been applied by NIOT in other Shoppers Drug Mart projects from British Columbia to Atlantic Canada, underlining a truly coast-to-coast partnership.

Community Impact and Redevelopment Value

The introduction of Shoppers Drug Mart at 946 Lawrence East had a significant positive impact on the Don Mills community. As an essential services retailer, Shoppers provides residents with convenient access to medications, health advice, and daily necessities within walking distance of their homes. The 24/7 operation means that seniors in nearby condominiums and families in the area have around-the-clock access to pharmacy services – a critical community benefit. The co-location of the CIBC branch added further value, turning the site into a mini town-center for errands and improving the walkability of the neighbourhood. NIOT’s development replaced what was previously under-utilized land with a vibrant community asset, thereby enhancing local property values and street life.

From a redevelopment perspective, NIOT’s project complemented the larger regeneration of Don Mills. While Cadillac Fairview rebuilt the main shopping centre across the street, NIOT’s Shoppers/CIBC development revitalized the northeast quadrant of the intersection, bringing new life to a corner of The Donway West. This helped distribute commercial services more evenly around the community, rather than having all amenities concentrated in the mall. The new Shoppers Drug Mart also housed a post office, filling a void left by the mall’s closure and ensuring continuity of postal services in the interim. Moreover, NIOT’s long-term ownership means continued community investment: the company has maintained landscaping, lighting, and security on site to high standards, contributing to neighborhood safety and aesthetics.

NIOT engaged with local residents throughout the process, demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility. In response to community input, for example, the scale and brightness of signage were moderated to respect the residential feel of The Donway enclave​NIOT also sponsored community events (such as local health fairs and a Don Mills outdoor festival) in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart, underscoring its dual role as landlord and community supporter. Economically, the project created dozens of jobs – from construction jobs during development to permanent positions for pharmacists, technicians, and retail staff. In summary, the Shoppers Drug Mart partnership project delivered tangible redevelopment value: it preserved essential services through a period of change, boosted the local economy, and integrated seamlessly into the fabric of Don Mills, setting a precedent for community-conscious retail development.

Maps and Location Context

Located at the northeast corner of Lawrence Avenue East and The Donway West in Toronto, the Shoppers Drug Mart (946 Lawrence E) occupies a prime site within Don Mills. The map of the area highlights a mix of residential and commercial uses around the project. To the north of the site are high-rise residential condominiums (approximately 8 stories) and apartment buildings​, whose residents form a key customer base for the pharmacy. Immediately west of the Shoppers, across The Donway West, is a cluster of low-rise residential housing and the Don Mills branch of the Toronto Public Library​ – the presence of the library and this retail site together create a convenient civic node. South across Lawrence Avenue is the expansive Shops at Don Mills lifestyle center (formerly Don Mills Centre)​, which features fashion retailers, restaurants, and a grocery store; the Shoppers Drug Mart site effectively serves as an extension of that retail district, positioned just outside its boundaries to serve both mall-goers and the broader community. East of the Shoppers site are more residential high-rises and the natural green spaces of the Don Valley corridor beyond (the Don Valley Parkway is roughly one kilometer to the east, providing regional connectivity).

Accessibility is a strong suit of this location. Lawrence Avenue East is a major arterial road, and Don Mills Road (just to the east) is another major north-south route – together they bring substantial passing traffic and transit routes. The site is served by TTC public transit (bus stops are located nearby on Lawrence and Don Mills), making it reachable for those without cars. For drivers, a surface parking lot surrounds the building, accessible via The Donway West, allowing easy in-and-out access without congesting Lawrence Avenue. A site plan (per city records) shows dedicated parking spaces for Shoppers and CIBC customers, as well as loading access at the rear for deliveries​.

In the broader context, Don Mills is situated in North York (northeast Toronto), and this Shoppers Drug Mart is centrally located within that planned community. Maps show that the store lies just west of the Don Mills Road/Lawrence intersection, roughly 2 km east of the Leslie Street corridor and about 5 km south of Highway 401. The location’s context can be summarized as a well-balanced urban node: it stands at the crossroads of a commercial resurgence (the new mall) and established residential neighborhoods. This strategic positioning amplifies the store’s reach and convenience. For NIOT’s other projects, the Don Mills Shoppers serves as a model of locating tenant sites in highly accessible, community-oriented settings – a philosophy applied by NIOT to Shoppers Drug Mart developments in numerous provinces across Canada.

Related News or Media Coverage

The Shoppers Drug Mart partnership has been noted in various forums as an example of successful community retail development. Corporate reports and local media have documented aspects of the project. In CIBC’s 2007 Public Accountability Statement, the bank highlighted the relocation of its Don Mills branch to 946 Lawrence Ave E as part of its branch network improvements​. This move, in tandem with Shoppers Drug Mart’s opening, was seen as bolstering local services during the mall redevelopment period. The project also appeared in City of Toronto Council documents when signage and minor variances were being approved​. These public records provide insight into the development’s reception; for instance, meeting minutes from 2008 show community representatives (Don Mills Residents Inc.) and CIBC’s real estate manager coming to a compromise on signage that kept the site’s appearance neighborhood-friendly​.

Local newspapers like the North York Mirror and community newsletters reported on the grand opening of the Shoppers Drug Mart and CIBC at Don Mills, often emphasizing the convenience of having a 24-hour pharmacy and full-service bank reinstated in the area. Although specific articles are not cited here, contemporaneous coverage praised the partnership for maintaining “business as usual” for Don Mills residents amid the major changes across the street. In industry circles, NIOT’s work with Shoppers Drug Mart has been referenced as part of Shoppers’ wider expansion strategy – trade publications in Canadian real estate noted how developers like NIOT enabled Shoppers to establish over 1,300 stores nationwide by mid-2010s​.

Moreover, the success of the Don Mills location has been featured in NIOT’s own marketing and case studies (on NIOT’s website and brochures) as a flagship project. It sets a benchmark for build-to-suit retail projects and has been used in pitches when NIOT pursues new partnerships with national tenants. In summary, while much of the media coverage around this project has been localized to community updates and internal reports, the consistent theme is that NIOT’s Shoppers Drug Mart development at Don Mills is a model of resilience and community-centric planning – ensuring that even during urban redevelopment, essential services continued uninterrupted. This narrative has enhanced NIOT’s reputation and has been echoed in subsequent news whenever NIOT launches similar projects in other Canadian communities.