Black Friday at Calgary's Chinook Centre a more 'civilized affair' than in U.S.

Black Friday in Canada sees nowhere near the level of frenzied bargain-hunting as south of the border, but some shoppers in Calgary still waited through the night to get their hands on deals.

Colleen Gail Simeon and her friend Shania Casem camped out at Chinook Centre starting at 10 p.m. Thursday nightto stake out a prime starting position for when the mall's doors opened the following morning at 7 a.m.

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"We wanted to be the first person to get inside the mall,"Casemsaid. "We saved up a lot of money."

Lisa and Ruth Bortnak got together at the mall for a little mother-daughter retail bonding, leaving the house at 6:30 a.m. in search of one thing.

"Christmas presents," Lisa said. "And Christmas presents for myself."

"We just shut our eyes and spent," added Ruth.

Between the two of them, the Bortnaks estimate they spent $1,000 at the mall.

'Civilized affair'

Chinook Centre marketing manager Stacie Woolford said thatdespite the economic downturnthe mall was expecting Black Friday sales that are "on par" with last year.

She said about 50 people lined up at the H&M store before it opened on Friday morning with lineups outside the Old Navy, Sephora and Zara stores, as well.

"We're Canadian so we typically mind our manners," she said.

"It's a very civilized affair at our property."