Largest Ikea in Canada opens in Ottawa
Posted Dec 7, 2011 10:03:19 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The largest Ikea in Canada is now open in Canada.
Around 20 Ikea addicts spent the night in the parking lot, waiting patiently for the store to open.
“My wife is eight months pregnant and we still have to buy the nursery room, the crib and the mattress, the drawers, ” said one daddy-to-be who camped out over night. “I proposed to do this. She supports it, but she sent me a text message that she was cold in the bed without me.”
The giant store is more than three times larger than the old one, and includes underground parking, special parking stalls for hybrid vehicles as well as a fully licensed restaurant that has room for over 600 people.
Ikea Canada president Kerri Molinaro said those features make this Ikea not only the largest, but also the best in Canada. “The new store features 55 room settings, three full homes, 640 seats in the restaurant, 1,200 parking spots, many of them covered, which is great given our climate here in Ottawa.”
Mayor Jim Watson, who built a small coffee table in front of the store, said he is proud to have the store in Ottawa. “It’s taken 10 years to get to this stage,” said Watson. “That’s a lot of assembly time required, but it’s been well worth it because now we can boast we have the largest Ikea in Canada.”
Watson said the store has created 100 jobs in the capital, and the building is one of the most environment-friendly ones in the city. “(I’m looking forward to) more selection, no more shipping costs, no more driving to Montreal or Toronto to pick up the things that you want,” said Allison, who waited to get into the store with her family.
Over 13,000 people are expected to visit the store on its grand opening day.
