Photo Service (Montreal) closing

Milpool · Nov 12, 2025

This sucks, but obviously the writing has been on the wall for a long time now. Frankly I’m surprised it stayed open for this long, especially in this town.

Photo Service was one of the main pro places here and has been the last one standing for a good while now. Nice, helpful people.

'A real institution': Old Montreal camera shop Photo Service to close after 89 years

“We were the pro store for photography," says owner Jean-Charles Savard, who has received over 100 emails since announcing the news.

montrealgazette.com

Alex Benjamin · Nov 12, 2025

Totally agree. This was very sad news.

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 12, 2025

It's always sad news when an institution such as Photo Service shuts down. I noticed it while walking down the street, back in 2016. Popped inside for a look.

ant! · Dec 2, 2025

Yeah, was a customer as well, mainly the lab and a few chemicals and stuff.

Their email telling that they close left a sour note though (they edited that text later on), blaming bike infrastructure, missing parking and changes in old Montreal as part of the reasons they have to close. I mean, there is no bike lane on Notre-Dame and the next one a few blocks away, parking in old Montreal was probably never easy (ok, I have personal experience only since about 14 years and worked a few years just over the street from them), and they had anyways a deal with a private parking place that clients can park (never used it, so don't know the details). I was basically only by bicycle there, and most of the time bicycle parking was missing, at least since the park a few steps from them was transformed into a building. So yeah, just found it a bit a cheap shot.
Many other shops, e.g. Lozeau, closed before, I guess the internet and shrinking sales from photo equipment played a larger role then bike lanes (which are not even close to their shop).

Anyways, sad to see them go since they were my preferred lab, just confused by how they communicated that.

Terrence Brennan · Dec 2, 2025

The last time I was in downtown Montreal, which was 2004, I stopped by the store where I used to buy most of my supplies, Mitchell Photo on Dorchester Square, which I knew as Dominion Square.

It was gone, and AFAIR, the store seemed to have been incorporated into the the Dominion Square building as the entrance to a hotel.

Bummer!

mshchem · Dec 3, 2025

Last time I was in Quebec was 1968. In the backseat of the family Chevrolet. I was shooting a Kodak Instamatic 126, square format.
Sad to see this, sounds like they sold the building. Someone should save the sign!

Milpool · Dec 3, 2025

mshchem said:
Last time I was in Quebec was 1968. In the backseat of the family Chevrolet. I was shooting a Kodak Instamatic 126, square format.
Sad to see this, sounds like they sold the building. Someone should save the sign!

There’s an organization here that saves signs like this. Hopefully they take it.

Milpool · Dec 3, 2025

I think the lab part of the business is continuing in some form. If I remember correctly Borealis actually does most/all of the actual processing for Photo Service.

ant! said:
Yeah, was a customer as well, mainly the lab and a few chemicals and stuff.

Their email telling that they close left a sour note though (they edited that text later on), blaming bike infrastructure, missing parking and changes in old Montreal as part of the reasons they have to close. I mean, there is no bike lane on Notre-Dame and the next one a few blocks away, parking in old Montreal was probably never easy (ok, I have personal experience only since about 14 years and worked a few years just over the street from them), and they had anyways a deal with a private parking place that clients can park (never used it, so don't know the details). I was basically only by bicycle there, and most of the time bicycle parking was missing, at least since the park a few steps from them was transformed into a building. So yeah, just found it a bit a cheap shot.
Many other shops, e.g. Lozeau, closed before, I guess the internet and shrinking sales from photo equipment played a larger role then bike lanes (which are not even close to their shop).

Anyways, sad to see them go since they were my preferred lab, just confused by how they communicated that.

ant! · Dec 3, 2025

Milpool said:
I think the lab part of the business is continuing in some form. If I remember correctly Borealis actually does most/all of the actual processing for Photo Service.

Yes, the email stated the lab moves to Kant Photo (which is for me more out of the way, so I'd probably switch to someone else).

I actually think photoservice did the development at least in house (it's always within 24h for C41, and one time they had forgotten my roll of 120 the day and the lab person clearly said "no, didn't do any 120 today", which for me means they did it in house. Actually, I think they might developed for other shops as well. Maybe certain jobs were outsourced (prints on cups and stuff like this for sure), I only did C41 development, a scan + larger format print and a few other smaller prints there, and had always the impression it was in house, all within 24h and for a good price. Also, you can upload on their website to have it printed, not sure if they would have that without own lab?

Milpool · Dec 3, 2025

You’re probably right. Thinking about it some more it might be sheet film processing they outsourced to Borealis. Several years ago I asked both Photo Service and Borealis about some sheet film processing options and I *think* I remember Photo Service telling me they give the film to Borealis.

ant! said:
Yes, the email stated the lab moves to Kant Photo (which is for me more out of the way, so I'd probably switch to someone else).

I actually think photoservice did the development at least in house (it's always within 24h for C41, and one time they had forgotten my roll of 120 the day and the lab person clearly said "no, didn't do any 120 today", which for me means they did it in house. Actually, I think they might developed for other shops as well. Maybe certain jobs were outsourced (prints on cups and stuff like this for sure), I only did C41 development, a scan + larger format print and a few other smaller prints there, and had always the impression it was in house, all within 24h and for a good price. Also, you can upload on their website to have it printed, not sure if they would have that without own lab?

Terrence Brennan · Dec 3, 2025

Milpool said:
There’s an organization here that saves signs like this. Hopefully they take it.

Yes, would it be the McCord Museum? I remember reading that the sign from Ben’s Restaurant ended up there. Another Montréal institution gone!

Alex Benjamin · Dec 3, 2025

Milpool said:
There’s an organization here that saves signs like this. Hopefully they take it.

Terrence Brennan said:
Yes, would it be the McCord Museum? I remember reading that the sign from Ben’s Restaurant ended up there. Another Montréal institution gone!

It's probably going to be a similar case as the Archambault sign (Ste-Catherine & Berri). It was taken down after Archambault folded, but this created such an outrage that they had to put it back up. The Photo Service sign is very similar, and probably dates from the same period.

Milpool · Dec 3, 2025

I was thinking more of the Montreal Signs Project / Concordia https://www.montrealsignsproject.ca/

But yeah maybe McCord or even the MEM.

Terrence Brennan said:
Yes, would it be the McCord Museum? I remember reading that the sign from Ben’s Restaurant ended up there. Another Montréal institution gone!

mshchem · Dec 3, 2025

Whatever business moves in should just adopt the name "Photo Service" problem solved. A nice restaurant, I'd go!

Sirius Glass · Dec 3, 2025

Sadly photographic businesses are closing, some faster than others. Maybe it will bring more people to this forum.

photogear · Dec 28, 2025

It is with a real emotion that I learned a very old photo store will shut down on January 3rd after some 90 years of service. The store called Photo Service was an institution in Montréal so to speak. Every seller was knowledgeable in that matter not only boxes sellers. The big sign of the store will not light again.

Alex Benjamin · Dec 28, 2025

Photo Service (Montreal) closing

This sucks, but obviously the writing has been on the wall for a long time now. Frankly I’m surprised it stayed open for this long, especially in this town. Photo Service was one of the main pro places here and has been the last one standing for a good while now. Nice, helpful people...

www.photrio.com

photogear · Dec 28, 2025

Was there on the Boxing Day and there was a rather big crowd. I purchased for quite many dollars chemicals, films and papers.
It was sad to see the store getting stripped of its stock so quickly. Almost all shelves were emptied.
Had a quick talk to the manager who seemed to absorb the shock quite right.
At an angle there was a camera man who was shooting every single transaction with a digital tool, of course!...

koraks · Dec 28, 2025

Threads merged; sorry to hear this!

photogear · Dec 28, 2025

Sirius Glass said:
Sadly photographic businesses are closing, some faster than others. Maybe it will bring more people to this forum.

Lozeau shut down some one or two years ago... There ain't that many left: Photo St-Denis, Studio Argentique, Royal Photo, Camtec but a big player just left.

Photo Service (Montreal) closing

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'A real institution': Old Montreal camera shop Photo Service to close after 89 years

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