Laval finally has its own Canac, and if the chaos on opening day is any indication, residents are ready to never drive to Prévost again.
The new location opened on Friday on Boulevard Curé-Labelle, and Narcity Québec was there to witness what can only be described as Costco-on-Christmas-Eve levels of enthusiasm.
According to their report, cars were lined up just to get into the parking lot, despite there being 250 spots.
It's hardly surprising, though, as this is the most expensive Canac ever built. At $35 million, it's the chain's biggest single investment, and they didn't just throw that money at a bigger warehouse. This location actually looks and feels different from every other Canac out there.
The exterior of Laval's new Canac store. Narcity Québec
The facility sits on a 450,000-square-foot site with a 50,000-square-foot main building—30,000 square feet of that dedicated purely to retail space. There's also a 12,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor garden center (the first enclosed year-round garden center Canac has ever built), an outdoor lumber yard, and a massive 41,500-square-foot covered warehouse.
But it's not just about size. This location actually looks and feels different from every other Canac out there. There's a full second level with a mezzanine for home décor, royal blue accents that make the space feel less industrial, and that year-round indoor garden center instead of the usual outdoor seasonal setup.
The new 12,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor garden center.Narcity Québec
Speaking on opening day, general manager Yannick Chamberland said he expected people to show up, but even he was caught off guard by the turnout.
The store has prepared accordingly, though, bringing in staff from Quebec City, the South Shore, Prévost, and Joliette to handle the expected crowds — 80 to 90 people working the opening weekend.
They even got the city to install a new traffic light on Curé-Labelle specifically for the store, which gives you an idea of how much foot traffic they're anticipating.
Chamberland also mentioned that they redesigned the pickup system for the outdoor yard and warehouse to make customer service faster, which makes sense given how much space they're working with.
The interior of Laval's new Canac store.Narcity Québec
Opening day features included promotional giveaways such as reusable bottles, measuring cups, notebooks, and pencils. The store is also running a contest throughout the weekend for early visitors.
So, what's actually worth checking out? According to Narcity Québec, the décor section is massive, and the prices are legitimately competitive with discount retailers like Winners and HomeSense.
They spotted a green velvet armchair on sale for $149.99, for example, which isn't something you typically find at a hardware store.
The new Canac store has items you'd expect to see in HomeSense.Narcity Québec
In fact, the home décor aisles seem more like browsing through HomeSense than shopping at a hardware store. There were decorative furniture pieces, faux plants, and wall art that wouldn't look out of place in an upscale boutique.
The pricing follows a similar discount-retailer strategy too — most items are marked down significantly from what you'd typically pay at specialty home stores.
The new Canac store has items you'd expect to see in HomeSense.Narcity Québec
That's not all. Think storage baskets in neutral tones, decorative vases, modern-looking mirrors, picture frames, and accent pieces that are clearly meant to appeal to shoppers looking to refresh their living spaces.
It's a noticeable departure from the purely functional approach most hardware stores take, and based on opening day turnout, Laval shoppers are into it.
The new Canac store has items you'd expect to see in HomeSense.Narcity Québec
The inventory overall is bigger than standard Canac locations, with more overstock and a wider selection across all departments.
And yes, it's still February, but the seasonal section is already fully stocked with summer gear — patio furniture, paddleboards for $250, outdoor decorations. The store is clearly betting people are ready to start planning for warm weather.
The location itself was chosen strategically. It's at 3400 Boulevard Curé-Labelle, right off highways 15 and 440, which makes it accessible for Montreal residents too, not just Laval.
Between the size, the design upgrades, and the proximity to major routes, this isn't just Laval's Canac — it's positioned to pull customers from across the region.
This story was adapted from the article "Le 1er Canac de Laval est ENFIN ouvert et il y a même une mezzanine (PHOTOS)" which was originally published on Narcity Quebec by Izabelle Bee.
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