Sometimes the most random things can trigger a wave of collective nostalgia, and apparently, flooring is one of them. A recent photo of Masonville Place’s old tile pattern has locals getting surprisingly sentimental about their childhood mall memories.
The Iconic Terrazzo That Started It All
The original Masonville floor featured a distinctive terrazzo pattern that locals fondly nicknamed “headcheese floors” – though despite the unflattering name, the material proved incredibly durable during the mall’s heyday. The colourful, speckled design became an unexpected playground for kids who would pick a specific colour within the pattern and follow it like their own personal yellow brick road throughout their shopping trips.
One former regular recalls the childhood game of choosing either red or blue tiles to follow during family mall visits – basically a “floor is lava” variant that kept kids entertained while parents shopped. It’s the kind of simple pleasure that hits different when you’re looking back through adult eyes.
The Mini Golf Course Everyone Misses
Beyond the floors, what really gets people talking is the indoor mini golf course that used to be Masonville’s crown jewel. The course featured themed holes, including one particularly memorable challenge called “The President’s Nose” that apparently tormented many a young golfer trying to navigate the tricky putt.
The mini golf wasn’t just a kids’ attraction – it became a legitimate date night destination for teenagers and young adults. Many locals have fond memories of romantic mini golf sessions at the mall, making it a proper community gathering spot rather than just another shopping centre.
Those Legendary Christmas Displays
Masonville’s Christmas displays were apparently next-level spectacular back in the day. These weren’t your typical mall decorations – they featured elaborate animatronic scenes with tiny elves crafting toys and other festive characters that would captivate families for hours.
The displays were so memorable that parents still bring them up years later, describing button-activated animations and intricate mechanical scenes that made the mall feel truly magical during the holiday season. It’s the kind of elaborate seasonal decoration that modern malls rarely invest in anymore.
The Fountain That Collected Dreams (and Change)
No childhood mall experience was complete without the obligatory fountain visit, and Masonville’s water feature was no exception. Kids would drag their parents over to watch the fountain and inevitably beg for coins to toss in – because what’s a mall fountain without a few wishes thrown in for good measure?
The fountain area became a natural meeting point and a place where families would pause during their shopping marathons. It’s one of those simple features that created genuine moments of connection in what could otherwise be a purely transactional space.
When Malls Had Personality
What strikes many people about these Masonville memories is how much character the mall used to have compared to today’s more sterile retail environments. The bold, colourful design choices – from the wild terrazzo floors to vibrant carpeting – created spaces that felt alive and distinctive.
Modern mall design tends toward neutral palettes and clinical aesthetics that one commenter compared to “shopping in a doctor’s waiting room.” The contrast highlights how much retail spaces have changed in their approach to creating memorable environments.
The old Masonville clock, which once sat prominently in the mall’s central atrium, has found new life at Victoria Children’s Hospital – a small piece of mall history that continues to serve the community in a different context.
These conversations about Masonville’s past have been popping up in local online discussions, with longtime residents sharing their own memories of the mall’s golden era when shopping centres served as genuine community hubs rather than just places to buy stuff.