Apple has confirmed that its Sainte-Catherine Street retail presence in Montreal is moving to a new location, with the relocated Apple Sainte-Catherine store set to open to the public on Friday, January 16 at 10 a.m. The new store will occupy a historic building at the corner of Sainte-Catherine Street and Rue de la Montagne, one of Montreal’s most prominent retail intersections. The relocation represents another step in Apple’s long-term strategy of investing in prominent urban locations that blend retail, architecture, and community engagement.
The Sainte-Catherine store first opened at 1321 Sainte-Catherine Street in 2008 and has served as a key downtown Montreal location for nearly two decades. The new site places the store in a more architecturally distinctive building while maintaining a central position along Montreal’s busiest shopping corridor. The move aligns with Apple’s broader Canadian retail evolution, which has increasingly emphasized upgraded locations, larger footprints, and enhanced experiential elements in major urban markets.
The new Apple Sainte-Catherine store is located at the intersection of Sainte-Catherine Street and Rue de la Montagne, an area defined by high pedestrian traffic, flagship retail, and proximity to both office towers and residential neighbourhoods. Sainte-Catherine Street remains Montreal’s primary commercial artery, serving as a focal point for fashion, technology, dining, and entertainment.
Public Art Installation Celebrates Montreal’s Creative Identity
To mark the opening of the new location, Apple collaborated with Montreal-based artist Catherine Potvin on a large-scale illustration that now wraps the exterior facade of the building. The artwork will remain on display until the grand opening on January 16 and serves as both a visual landmark and a celebration of Montreal’s cultural scene.
Potvin’s illustration draws inspiration from the city’s creativity and imagination, weaving together references to Montreal’s artists, musicians, athletes, and chefs. Throughout the artwork, Apple products appear in use as tools that support creative expression and everyday activity. The scenes include an illustrator drawing on iPad, a DJ wearing AirPods Max, a photographer using an iPhone, a person coding on MacBook, and a yogi wearing Apple Watch.
The facade installation transforms the building into a temporary public art canvas, reinforcing Apple’s recurring practice of commissioning local artists to create location-specific artwork during store openings and major renovations. In Montreal, where public art and murals are a defining element of the city’s identity, the collaboration aligns closely with local cultural expectations.
Live Art Programming During Opening Weekend
Programming tied to the opening weekend will further highlight the collaboration with Potvin. During the first days of operation, she will lead a live art demonstration using iPad, offering visitors a real-time look at digital illustration techniques within the store environment.
In addition, customers who make a purchase during select times will receive an Apple Store gift bag illustrated by Potvin. The scheduled times for these activations are Friday, January 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, January 17 at 1:30 p.m. and again at 4:00 p.m. These limited-time elements are designed to create a sense of occasion around the opening while reinforcing Apple’s emphasis on creativity and hands-on engagement.
Such opening-weekend programming has become a familiar component of Apple store launches, particularly in urban locations where the company seeks to establish the store as a community hub rather than a purely transactional space.
Construction and Build-Out Led by Montreal-Based SAJO
The build-out of the new Apple Sainte-Catherine store has been underway since last year and is being handled by Montreal-based construction-design firm SAJO. SAJO has extensive experience delivering complex retail environments and has worked on numerous flagship projects across Canada and internationally.
The involvement of a local firm underscores Apple’s preference for partnering with regional specialists who understand local building codes, heritage considerations, and urban construction challenges. While Apple maintains tight global standards for retail design and execution, its Canadian projects frequently incorporate local expertise to navigate site-specific constraints, particularly when historic buildings are involved.
Apple’s Broader Retail Footprint in Quebec and Canada
The relocation of the Apple Sainte-Catherine store comes within the context of Apple’s sizable and mature Canadian retail network. Apple currently operates five retail stores in Quebec and 28 across Canada, with locations concentrated in major metropolitan markets including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Over the past several years, Apple has prioritized upgrading existing locations through relocations, expansions, and comprehensive redesigns rather than pursuing aggressive store count growth. In Canada, this approach has resulted in larger stores, improved layouts, and expanded capacity for programming such as Today at Apple sessions, technical support, and community events. Apple’s first Canadian flagship opened in Vancouver at CF Pacific Centre in November of 2022.
And Toronto still doesn’t even have its first Apple flagship store. Sigh.
any update on yonge/bloor apple store? i know they cancelled but now the building is being finished…
And Toronto still waits… my hunch is that it is back at The One. Yes, that was shelved, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s been quietly revisited under Tridel.