The billionaire owner of three B.C. shopping malls has declared her intent to purchase the ailing Hudson’s Bay department store chain, outlining her plan in a series of videos posted on a Chinese social network.
Weihong Liu is chair of Central Walk, a Nanaimo-based company that owns the massive Tsawwassen Mills mall in Metro Vancouver, Mayfair shopping centre in Victoria and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo.
She has been touring Hudson’s Bay flagship locations across the country, accompanied by Richmond-based videographer and real estate agent Linda Qin.
In a video posted Thursday by Qin on Chinese social network RedNote, Liu said she feels the sadness of Canadians who are witnessing the crumbling of one of the country’s oldest businesses and has decided to make a bid for the business.
“Everyone has a responsibility to unite and invigorate the retail industry, invigorate Canada and to solve the employment issues that are coming,” she said in Mandarin, adding that an economic crisis is coming for Canada. “If the Bay closes, we’ll be like Detroit, just ruins.” ...