By Dr. Tony Lea, Dr. Ken Jones and Gleb Bylow

This research letter explores the changing health of major Canadian downtowns during the 1990s.  It explores the issue of whether the healthy Canadian downtown is a myth or a reality -- at least in terms of retailing.  Are the retail cores of Canada's cities stable, growing or in decline?  Are our inner city areas increasingly becoming more Americanized?  This research letter will raise a number of important questions for politicians, policy makers, developers, investors, retailers and even the public at large who deeply appreciate the significance of downtown areas.