South Keys Shopping Centre

I witnessed a bag snatching there today in the afternoon. I usually avoid this area because it seems sketchy. Well I guess it turns out to be true.

I actually have to echo what Jeff S mentioned in his review. While my car hasn’t been hit (fingers crossed!), I have experienced the panhandler issue. I had a woman go so far as to tell me she just needed gas money to pick her child up from daycare. It was awful.
This was a bit of a hotbed for crime back around 2011 when there were a bunch of swarmings and some other scary business. I think they’ve been doing a better job of keeping the crime in check here.
Anyway, other than that, this place really is just «A-​OK». I think if you lived in the area it would be super convenient for you — the giant Loblaws and WalMart being a major plus, as well as the movie theatre. As Jennifer P mentioned, there’s a huge transit station here as well.
When I lived south of the city growing up, this was our closest shopping option (ah, a time before Barrhaven saved us!), and I spent a lot of time here as a adolescent. As I’ve gotten older, I tend to avoid big box stores, but I still stop by here every so often, mostly to pop into Winners or Michael’s. Oh wait! There’s a Chapters there too, with a decent Starbucks.
I so miss the Great Canadian Bagel Company! I was at South Keys last week and was so sad to see it’s been replaced. I haven’t been to the Mucho Burrito here, but I’d likely stop there for food.
There’s also a Monatana’s, and a Denny’s, but I would heed other reviewer’s advice and visit KS on the Keys!
There’s apparently some big plans in the works for this place over the next 20 – 30 years including getting rid of all the surface parking and dividing it into city blocks with a town square. Apprently that won’t happen for a long time though, so until then, expect more of a «meh» shopping experience here.

None of my vehicles have ever been hit until I started frequenting the South Keys mall. My vehicle has been hit on 3 separate occasions, while parked, by young twenty-​somethings who cried, and had their parents beg me not to report the accident and offered to buy me off.
I had never been a fan of big box store malls, but the convenience and proximity won me over.
Word of warning:
My wife and neighbours have also been targeted by panhandlers in the parking lot next to Loblaws.
Basically, in the summer months, one or two individuals seem to seek out women with children, returning to their vehicle with groceries and kids in tow.
The individuals wait until they reach their vehicle, then ask for money. It’s very premeditated.
I complained to Loblaws management, as you would think that the feeling of safety and security on their premises should matter.

South Keys is a plaza where you have to go outside to go to different stores. It is not a fully enclosed indoor mall like Bayshore, Carlingwood, St. Laurent, Billings Bridge, etc. I personally don’t like the sprawled out nature of plazas, I much prefer indoor malls, but that’s just personal preference. That being said, South Keys is not all that bad. There is an OC Transpo station at one end, and there is a lot of parking. So it is easily accessible by public transit and by car.
My favourite store here is the Winners. It’s large and has lots of selection. The Danier here is an outlet, so they have lots of discounted leather jackets. The Roots is also an outlet, although I’ve never really found anything of interest there. I also like Michael’s there for craft supplies.
Daniel L. has done a good job listing the stores in his review. Although I believe that there is no Aldo Shoes there (although I could be wrong). There is a Globo Shoes though.
In terms of places to eat, there is a Mucho Burrito, a Kelsey’s and a Denny’s. There used to be a Great Canadian Bagel, but sadly it closed down. Close by on Dazé St. there is also KS on the Keys.
The place is a bit awkward in the sense that there is the main part of the shopping centre (from Mucho Burrito to Walmart), then there is a little annex separated by a «road”/part of the parking lot with lots of traffic (where the movie theatre, Jacob and Addition-​Elle are) and then there’s another little annex where you have to cross Dazé St. to get to it (where the Bowring, Scholar’s Choice and a few other stores are). It’s not as bad as Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga though (who designed that place? I feel like I’m playing Frogger when I go from store to store!).
I rarely go out of my way to visit South Keys, but if I’m in the area, I usually pop by for some shopping — but mostly just at Winners and Globo :)

This shopping centre is great — there really is something for everyone whether you’re coming here for groceries, banking, restaurants, electronics, or more! The stores include the following:
Financial Services:
Alterna Savings
CIBC
RBC
Grocery/​Bulk Food:
Bulk Barn
Loblaws
Walmart
Clothing & Shoes:
Addition-​elle
Aldo Shoes
Bouclair
Children’s Place
Danier Leather
Jacob
Loblaws
Mark’s Work Warehouse
Moores
Roots
Walmart
Winners
Electronics, Books & Office Supplies:
Chapters
Future Shop
Michaels
The Source
Staples
Walmart
Entertainment
Cineplex Odeon
Fast Food Restaurants
McDonald’s (inside Walmart)
Mucho Burrito
Starbucks
Sit down restaurants:
Denny’s
Kelsey’s
Montana’s

The South Keys Plaza is incredibly convenient if you’re in the area. It’s expanded quite a bit since it’s construction, with a Wal-​Mart, Loblaws, Winners, Future Shop, Blockbuster, Globo Shoes, and a ton of other retail and electronic stores.
A huge downside, though, is because it’s more of a strip mall, you have to go outside and walk down to enter other stores. Normally, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it sucks pretty hard during winter, and also when you have big shopping bags and other things in your hands to carry around. I remember taking to O-​Train to South Keys when I was a student at Carleton, thinking how awesome it was for grocery shopping. wrong. Don’t get me wrong — it’s great if you’re only shopping for one or two people, but offering to shop for your three other roommates is probably a bad idea. I had to carry a ton of bags, including 4L milk bags all the way from Loblaws to the O-​Train station. I’m only 4“10 and 100 pounds, so you can only imagine what kind of feat this was for me! It’s OK, though. I survived.

The South Keys Mall is conveniently located between Bank Street and the Transitway to make it convenient for people who bus or drive. If you are taking the bus you can get off at either Greenboro or South Keys.
There are some great stores here and also a cinema. Restaurants include Denny’s and Montana’s. There is a Starbucks for coffee-​lovers.
I do find it inconvenient though, that though many of the stores, though attached together are not accesible one from the other. This means that you have to put your coat back on after each store and walk to the next. Some are quite far from one another.
Also if you are driving, there are excessive speed bumps in the parking lot, be careful and give yourself extra time!