Popping out to quickly run to the dep. Stopping by the dep on your way to a party. Whether it’s dish soap or a beer that you need, Montreal’s dépanneurs are always here to save the day. The random selection of products. The neon lights which say “open”. The advertisements plastered to the windows. The chaos and the colours. Deps are a charming place which can meet your last-minute breakfast needs as well as your late-night demands. Its artificial lights complete the trip to this Alice in Wonderland universe of consumption.
Dépanneur comes from the French verb dépanner. While the meaning gets lost in translation, ça dépanne can be explained as something which provides a temporary solution. So, a dépanneur is an “in the meantime” service. An oasis of survival when you realize you’ve run out of toothpaste or pads at 10 p.m. Or a late-night adventure to buy juice with a friend at 3 a.m. Sure corner shops are an international concept, but the dep is not like other girls. Indeed, not many cities sell souvenir t-shirts featuring illustrations of corner shops. Montreal does. My father can testify… he bought one!
