Tsawwassen locals were out in force in downtown Vancouver this weekend, hoping to secure one of 1,000 jobs on offer at the Tsawwassen Mills mega-mall set to open on October.
“That’s what drew me here,” said Henry McPhie, a 16-year-old South Delta Secondary student who met with three potential employers, including Harry Rosen, at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Saturday.
Carol Montagnon, 55, has lived in Tsawwassen for 35 years and seen its development from a sleepy suburb to a busy neighbourhood with soaring real estate values and growing job opportunities.
“I’m looking for work with Tsawwassen Mills in customer service and with Saks Fifth Avenue in management,” said Montagnon, who is looking for a change in career.
Mark Fenwick, general manager of Tsawwassen Mills, said the 200-store mega-mall will open Wednesday Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. Ultimately the mall will employ 3,500 full-time and part-time workers.
The mall has 16 anchor stores, including the first B.C. outlet of hunting, fishing and outdoors chain Bass Pro Shops.
Bass Pro Shops regional human resources manager Greg Brown flew in to Vancouver from Denver for the job fair.
The company’s Tsawwassen branch will cover 180,000 square feet and include a restaurant — Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl — and a 12-lane bowling alley. There will also be a variety of taxidermy displays and aquariums with native fish.
“We have kind of a cult following in North America. We have people who vacation around Bass Pro Shops stores,” said Brown, who is looking to hire 280 people in retail and 117 in the restaurant and bowling alley.
He said the store is looking for people with strong, open personalities, rather than expertise in hunting and fishing. The B.C. store will stock guns subject to Canadian regulations, Brown said.
Tsawwassen Mills is owned and operated by Invanhoe Cambridge on land leased from the Tsawwassen First Nation.
The job fair will continue on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and based on Saturday’s numbers is likely to attract 1,000 people — a person for every job.
