A
dépanneur (from the
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
verb
dépanner, meaning "to help out of difficulty" or "troubleshoot"; often shortened to "
dep") is a
convenience storeA convenience store is a small store or shop that sells items such as candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a selection of processed food and perhaps some groceries. Stores that are part of gas stations may also sell motor oil, windshield washer fluid,...
, usually part of a chain, or an independently-run corner shop,
general storeThe general store or general merchandise store is a store that carries a general line of merchandise.In Australia, Canada and the United States, a store named or subtitled "general store" is traditionally a retailer located in a small town or in a rural area...
or
deliDeli may refer to:* Delicatessen, type of food - Delicacies; Fast food * Delhi, the capital city of India* Deli, Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry of Turkey* Deli , a previous sultanate at North Sumatra...
, in the province of
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(or
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
), in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The term is also used in French by Franco-Ontarians. In France, a
dépanneur is a repairer of breakdowns, often in cars but also of electrical and other equipment.
The term "
dépanneur" was once restricted to French-speaking environments; however, over the years it spread to the English-speaking communities and became part of
Quebec EnglishQuebec English is the common term for the set of various linguistic and social phenomena affecting the use of English in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian Province of Quebec....
and the English
culture of QuebecThe culture of Quebec emerged over the last few centuries, resulting from the shared history of the French-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western world; Quebec is the only region in North America with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada where...
.
A
dépanneur (from the
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
verb
dépanner, meaning "to help out of difficulty" or "troubleshoot"; often shortened to "
dep") is a
convenience storeA convenience store is a small store or shop that sells items such as candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a selection of processed food and perhaps some groceries. Stores that are part of gas stations may also sell motor oil, windshield washer fluid,...
, usually part of a chain, or an independently-run corner shop,
general storeThe general store or general merchandise store is a store that carries a general line of merchandise.In Australia, Canada and the United States, a store named or subtitled "general store" is traditionally a retailer located in a small town or in a rural area...
or
deliDeli may refer to:* Delicatessen, type of food - Delicacies; Fast food * Delhi, the capital city of India* Deli, Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry of Turkey* Deli , a previous sultanate at North Sumatra...
, in the province of
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(or
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
), in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The term is also used in French by Franco-Ontarians. In France, a
dépanneur is a repairer of breakdowns, often in cars but also of electrical and other equipment.
The term
The term "
dépanneur" was once restricted to French-speaking environments; however, over the years it spread to the English-speaking communities and became part of
Quebec EnglishQuebec English is the common term for the set of various linguistic and social phenomena affecting the use of English in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian Province of Quebec....
and the English
culture of QuebecThe culture of Quebec emerged over the last few centuries, resulting from the shared history of the French-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western world; Quebec is the only region in North America with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada where...
. The English-language author and Montreal novelist
Mordecai RichlerMordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian author, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history...
used to refer in jest to the
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
grocer
HarrodsHarrods is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air Harrods.The store occupies a site and has...
as "my local
dépanneur" during his years in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
Canadian history and context
In Quebec, dépanneurs ('deps') used to be the only non-state stores in the province to sell
beerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
and other
alcoholic beverageAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
s, a situation which lasted until the 1990s. Supermarkets were forbidden to sell alcohol other than beer, to eliminate competition with the state monopoly
Société des alcools du QuébecThe Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in the Canadian province of Quebec.-Organization:The SAQ holds a monopoly over distribution of alcoholic beverages in Quebec...
(SAQ). A small selection of cheap wines available at the corner shop were, and in some cases still are, sarcastically referred to as "
CuvéeCuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...
dépanneur," or "Chateau Dépanneur." A change in licensing laws (as well as an overhaul of the SAQ) introduced an expanded selection of wines to both depanneurs and grocery stores, although the SAQ retains control over the majority of quality wines, spirits and hard liquor. In 2007, a limited number of
vodkaVodka is a clear distilled liquor composed of water and ethyl alcohol, made from a fermented substance of either grain, rye, wheat, potatoes, or sugar beet molasses; it also might contain trace amounts of other substances, either a flavour or unintended impurities...
s became available in grocery stores, but not dépanneurs.
In contrast, in most other Canadian provinces, convenience stores are not permitted to sell alcoholic beverages at all, and in some cases the sales of beer, wines and spirits are divided between different specialty provincial chains, such as The Beer Store (Brewers Retail) and the LCBO in Ontario.
Canadian chains vs independent stores
In Montreal many small family-owned deps and smaller chains were bought in the 1990s by
Couche-Tard Inc.Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is the largest Canadian convenience store retailer, operating or franchising over 5,000 stores across Canada, the United States, and in other countries...
(French for "goes to bed late"). It gained a virtual monopoly after it bought the Provi-Soir brand, a franchise with a winking owl as part of its logo (now part of the Couche-Tard logo); Provi-Soir had previously purchased the competing Perrette chain in the late 1980s. Today, the Mac's Convenience, Boni-Soir, 7 Jours and American
Circle KCircle K is an international chain of convenience stores, originally founded in 1951, in El Paso, Texas. It is currently owned and operated by Alimentation Couche-Tard.- Overview :...
chains are all owned by the Couche-Tard conglomerate.
Family-run depanneurs now tend to cater to their neighborhoods. In several Montreal districts, smaller deps serve immigrant populations, offering specialty foods and discount long-distance telephone cards alongside the usual convenience-store fare. Many offer faxing, photocopying,
Canada PostCanada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
services,
Western UnionThe Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and its international marketing and commercial services headquarters are in Montvale, New Jersey...
money transfers and occasionally
Internet access-History and types of connections:Common methods of Internet access include dial-up, landline , T- lines, Wi-Fi, satellite and cell phones....
. Most offer free local delivery of groceries; many use deliverymen who ride three-wheeled cycles with an attached cart, similar to the Dutch
Bakfiets freight bicycleFreight bicycles, carrier cycles, freight tricycles, cargo bikes, or bakfietsen, are human powered vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting large loads. Vehicle designs include a cargo area consisting of a steel tube carrier, an open or enclosed box, a flat platform, or a...
.
Because most convenience stores become cluttered to the point where their windows become a wall of advertising placards and neon, the Couche-Tard company experimented with a fresh, bright, and clean concept called "Store 2000." Several deps with wider layouts, brighter lighting, idiosyncratic modern décor, and often,
caféA café , also spelled cafe, is an informal restaurant offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. This differs from a coffee house, which is a limited-menu establishment which focuses on coffee sales. Depending on the jurisdiction, a café may be licensed to serve alcohol. The term...
s and
SubwaySubway is a fast food franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 31,835 restaurants in 91 countries as of September 2009...
sandwich franchises were launched to success, and the results were integrated into upgrades for the regular stores.
Deps survive despite the onslaught of large grocery chains from inside and outside the province.
Metropolitan French
In
Metropolitan FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, a
dépanneur is a
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
troubleshooter, more specifically a car breakdown or towing service (a tow-truck itself being a
dépaneuse), or a general fix-it man (for example, of electrical equipment). The term is occasionally used in this sense in Quebec.
External links