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Job seekers flock to Tsawwassen Mills fair

Hundreds of job seekers flocked to the Tsawwassen Springs Thursday for the Tsawwassen Mills job fair.
Tsawwassen Mills job fair
Peter Lo, regional manager for Bench, speaks with a job seeker at the Tsawwassen Mills job fair Thursday afternoon at Tsawwassen Springs. More than 90 retailers participated in the fair.
Hundreds of job seekers flocked to the Tsawwassen Springs Thursday for the Tsawwassen Mills job fair.
 
More than 90 retailers were on hand trying to fill the anticipated 3,000 full-time and part-time positions that will be available at the shopping centre when it opens at the Tsawwassen First Nation Oct. 5.
 
It marked the second job fair Tsawwassen Mills has hosted, following up on one in Vancouver in June that drew nearly 1,100 applicants.
 
Tsawwassen Mills general manager Mark Fenwick said they anticipated to draw that number again.
 
“It’s been great, a really good turnout,” Fenwick told the Optimist about two hours into the six-hour job fair. “The retailers are excited. We’ve seen hundreds of people so far. The job fair is only one of the tools they [retailers] are using to find their applicants. They are also using traditional newspaper advertising, social media and their existing internal networks as well.
 
“We were very pleased with our first job fair and this one I think will certainly better that one for sure.”
 
The ballroom at Tsawwassen Springs was full of energy as job seekers young and old went from table-to-table meeting with staff, filling out applications and trying to put their best foot forward. There were so many retailers, in fact, many spilled out onto the adjacent patio.
 
Ladner teen Michael Blaney had never attended a job fair before, but said he was impressed with the set up.
 
“It’s nice to just walk around and see so many retailers in one spot,” he said, adding H&M and Urban Planet both showed interest in hiring him.
 
Tanya Westmacott, regional manager for Le Chateau, said she was excited to be at the fair. With stores in Mills properties in Calgary and Toronto, she said Le Chateau is anticipating another successful venture here in Tsawwassen.
 
“Today has been great. We’ve had a lot of interesting applicants and it’s created a lot of excitement for the community,” said Westmacott. “We are looking for people who have a passion for fashion, enjoy interacting with other individuals and appreciate what Le Chateau has to offer and take the opportunity to share that with customers at our stores.”
 
Peter Lo, regional manager for Bench, said holding the job fair right across from the mall was a great choice.
 
“It’s perfect for the staff and managers we are hiring because it’s right in their backyard,” Lo said. “We are seeing kids who are in high school to young mothers, so a wide range of candidates. There is a good energy for sure. We are very excited to be a part of this community.”
 
Located just off Highway 17 at 52nd Street, the mall will have 200 stores, including 16 anchors. It will be mostly a fashion-oriented centre with a mix of outlet and other retailers, but will also have a wide range of other products and services.