Apple officially opened its expanded retail location on Sainte-Catherine Street West today, a move that significantly grows its footprint in Montreal. The new shop is more than double the size of the previous location and is the result of years of planning and construction to restore a historic site at the corner of Rue de la Montagne.
Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail, travelled to Montreal to celebrate the grand opening with local staff and customers. Her presence highlights the importance of this specific location, which has been part of the city for nearly 20 years. Apple also issued a dedicated press release to kick off the launch of this new store.
“For nearly 20 years, we’ve been proud to be part of the downtown Montreal community, whose spirit of creativity and innovation continues to inspire us,” O’Brien said during the event. “We’re incredibly excited to build on this long-standing relationship and create a destination where our customers can experience the very best of Apple.”
The building features a mix of local materials, including Quebec Saint-Marc stone and granite. Artisans also worked to restore the historic copper cornice at the top of the building. Inside, the store includes wider aisles and different table heights to make it easier for people using wheelchairs to move around the space.
Nearly 200 employees work at the new site, offering help in dozens of different languages. The back of the store includes a dedicated area for picking up online orders and a Genius Bar for technical repairs.
To mark the launch, Montreal artist Catherine Potvin is holding live drawing demonstrations on iPads throughout the weekend. Some visitors are even getting custom illustrations drawn directly onto their shopping bags.
This opening marks Apple’s 28th store in Canada and its fifth in the province of Quebec. While the store looks modern, the project was designed to respect the original architecture of the downtown core.
Did you visit this new Apple Store in Montreal yet? It looks beautiful.
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