MEC’s new North York location gets the final go-ahead

It looks like uptown outdoor enthusiasts can finally look forward to a sprawling new Mountain Equipment Co-op location of their own at Sheppard East and Leslie. Though the Vancouver-based active lifestyle company bought the former Sheridan Nurseries plot in November 2012, the development plans only just received final approval last week from the Ontario Municipal Board. (According to InsideToronto.com, a bylaw technicality delayed the process.) As of now, the only Toronto MEC outlet is at King and Spadina, and for anyone not living in the downtown core, it’s a pretty inconvenient trek to pick up camping supplies, thermal socks or running shells. The green light is happy news for the brand’s North York members—a number that the company boasts is 100,000 strong—who can expect the new 42,000-square-foot store to be up and running by summer 2016.