A small, fluorescent-lit space carrying decades of stories behind the counter, Dépanneur Populaire has been part of Hochelaga’s daily rhythm since the early 1980s. The soundtrack here is equal parts fridge hum and lottery machine beeps. At first glance, it’s exactly what you’d expect—beer fridges, instant noodles, cigarettes—but its origins are anything but ordinary: The store was opened with winnings from a neighbourhood lottery scandal, when a cheated customer used his payout to help two immigrant friends start fresh.

Since 2001, it’s been run by Richard Guo and Shuping Jiang, who raised their family in the apartment upstairs while learning the language, the business, and the neighbourhood all at once. Over time, transactions turned into conversations, and regulars became something closer to extended family.