The West Island Corner Store Stocked With Cameras, Not Milk
Above an arcade in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, three young entrepreneurs turned Quebec's corner-store idea into a membership studio stocked with cameras, sewing machines, and podcast gear — built by the people who needed it at 19.
August 26, 2026 · By Justin Plosz · Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec · Business · 6 min read read
A Different Kind of Corner Store
In Quebec, a dépanneur is simply a corner store — the place neighbours stop for milk, bread, a late-night snack, and the odd lottery ticket. In Montreal's West Island, three young entrepreneurs are stretching that familiar idea well past basic convenience.
Located above an arcade at 81A Rue Sainte-Anne in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Depanneur Studios is a different kind of neighbourhood stop: one stocked with cameras, sewing machines, direct-to-garment printing equipment, and podcast microphones. It is a place where a photographer can walk in with an idea and leave with a finished campaign, a young designer can develop a clothing line without buying thousands of dollars of machinery, and a podcaster still learning their craft can find both the tools and the community to take the next step.
For co-founder Myriam Ferreira, the studio is about more than equipment. “We're trying to apply a village mentality to a cityscape,” she told Montreal Community Contact. “How do we make entrepreneurial spaces that are more human-centred?”
Built by the People Who Needed It at 19
Depanneur Studios didn't start with a grand business plan. It started with a group of friends, a clothing brand, and parents who had grown tired of their garages being turned into production floors. Ferreira, a 24-year-old Montrealer who grew up primarily in Pierrefonds, is currently completing a double bachelor's degree at McGill University in International Development and World Islamic and Arab Studies — and building the studio alongside co-founder Youssef Semlali as a live test of an idea she calls philanthropic civilization building: business designed to create stronger communities rather than simply stronger profits.
The opportunity arrived during an ordinary visit to a local arcade, when Ferreira struck up a conversation with the owner, Chris, who mentioned there was an empty space upstairs. That space was originally an apartment, complete with interior walls and rooms that didn't fit the founders' vision — so they dismantled and rebuilt it themselves. “It has really been a group project,” Ferreira said. “Everybody brought their background, what they knew, and what their parents were able to teach them.”
The result is the kind of resource Ferreira wishes she'd had access to when she first entered entrepreneurship. “If I could have had access to a space like this at 19, it would have changed everything,” she said.
Membership Like a Gym, Not a Lease
The studio's business model is its cleverest idea. Rather than every photographer, designer, or small business owner buying expensive equipment individually, Depanneur Studios operates on a membership structure Ferreira compares directly to joining a gym: members pay for access and use only the equipment relevant to their work.
There are separate membership tiers for visual production and textile work, plus a full-access option for members who need both. “If you're somebody who is coming in to sew, you might not be interested in the fact that we have video cameras and podcast equipment,” Ferreira explained. “And if you're coming in to podcast, you might not be interested in sewing machines.”
The studio is also available for short-term rentals, letting photographers and other West Island creatives book a professional space without a trip downtown, and it offers reduced student rates to stay accessible to the thousands of young people studying and living in the area. For an 18-to-24-year-old creator with a project and no capital, that structure is the difference between an idea staying an idea and an idea becoming a portfolio.
Feeding the Block, Not Just the Brand
Depanneur Studios' community instinct extends past its own members. In August, the studio hosted Feed the Block, a community event addressing food insecurity for the roughly 24,000 neighbours and 750 families a month who rely on local support in the area — held, fittingly, at the studio itself.
That kind of programming is consistent with the founders' stated thesis: that a business built around access and community can do more for a neighbourhood than one built purely around margin. It is also a smart, quietly effective way to make a creative studio feel like a genuine extension of the block it sits on, rather than a business that simply rents space nearby.
For the founders, none of this reads as a finished project. As Ferreira put it, the task now is simply to keep on keeping on — one member, one piece of equipment, and one shared project at a time.
Key takeaways
- Depanneur Studios is a membership-based creative studio at 81A Rue Sainte-Anne in Montreal's West Island.
- Co-founded by Myriam Ferreira and Youssef Semlali, it grew out of friends outgrowing family garages used as production space.
- Its gym-style membership model gives members access to cameras, sewing and printing equipment, and podcast gear without individual equipment costs.
- Separate membership tiers cover visual production, textile work, or full access to both.
- The studio offers short-term rentals and reduced student rates to stay accessible to young West Island creatives.
- Beyond its members, the studio has hosted community programming like its Feed the Block food-security event.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Depanneur Studios?
- Depanneur Studios is a creative production studio and incubator in Montreal's West Island, offering gym-style memberships for equipment like cameras, sewing machines, DTG printing gear, and podcast microphones.
- Where is Depanneur Studios located?
- Depanneur Studios is located at 81A Rue Sainte-Anne in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, above a local arcade in Montreal's West Island.
- How does Depanneur Studios' membership model work?
- Members pay for access to the studio rather than buying equipment outright, similar to a gym membership. Separate tiers exist for visual production and textile work, plus a full-access option covering both.
- What equipment can Depanneur Studios members access?
- Members can access cameras and visual production gear, sewing machines and direct-to-garment printing equipment, and podcast recording microphones, depending on their membership tier.
- Who founded Depanneur Studios?
- Depanneur Studios was co-founded by Myriam Ferreira and Youssef Semlali, along with other young West Island entrepreneurs, after friends outgrew using family garages as production space.
- Does Depanneur Studios offer student discounts or short-term rentals?
- Yes. The studio offers reduced student rates and short-term space rentals for creatives who want to book professional equipment without a long-term membership.
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