Montreal Mini-Storage is working to get the final approvals it needs to open the first self-storage facility in Canada designed by women specifically with the needs of women in mind.

“It costs so much to build these days but you can get this fantastic facility by putting a little bit of TLC and some life into these old warehouses,” Montreal Mini-Storage director of acquisitions Andrea Lafrechoux told RENX. Lafrechoux is also the director of real estate at its parent company, Avenir Properties.

“The location is fantastic,” Lafrechoux said of the site she described as a hub for both established communities and emerging innovation. “You get great traffic visibility and you’re close to a lot of major developments and condo buildings.”

The target date to open its doors is June 1.

Quebec’s largest self-storage provider, Montreal Mini-Storage was established in 2004. It owns and operates over 10,000 storage units at 23 facilities in the province and closed on the acquisition of this newest property earlier this year.

Montreal Mini-Storage’s 24th facility will be in a converted textiles factory at 500 Sauvé St. W. in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. The 82,000-square-foot property will offer 800 storage units across two floors.

Designed for women, available to all

The vision for this women-focused initiative was led by Montreal Mini-Storage’s female leadership team, including Lafrechoux, director of business development Margaux Chetrit, project manager Tonia Assaf, leasing specialist Serena Miscione and senior financial analyst Alida Wu. 

Two of the six partners for the project’s architecture firm, dk a, are women. Lafrechoux said the people from the municipality she’s primarily been dealing with regarding planning and zoning have also been women.

The building was designed with safety, comfort and convenience in mind. It will include:

• bright interior and exterior areas to maximize visibility and safety;
• 24/7 surveillance and monitored security cameras;
• corner mirrors throughout the facility to ensure full visibility around blind spots;
• easily accessible loading areas for cars and trucks;
• and an appointment-based service so clients can book a representative to assist with accessing or managing their lockers.

Amelia Haddouchi, a Montreal-based female artist, will create a mural for the Sauvé facility.

“We're putting amenities in there that are a little bit different than industry standard, that are going to benefit men as much as they will women,” Lafrechoux said. “We want to be seen as a strong player that advocates for social issues, but it's completely inclusive to everybody.”

Sustainability is important

The adaptive re-use of 500 Sauvé resulted in a carbon footprint that’s estimated to be 50 per cent lower than building a conventional development from scratch. 

The renovation incorporates numerous energy-saving measures and includes dedicated parking spaces for Communauto, a local car-sharing service.

“Sustainability was core to this project,” Lafrechoux said, noting the building’s use of energy-efficient lighting, sensor controls and climate-conscious materials.

Special offers for women

Montreal Mini-Storage will offer 90 days of free storage for women entrepreneurs using 500 Sauvé to house business-related inventory, supplies or equipment. 

Women and female-identifying customers will also be eligible to pay 82 cents on the dollar, in alignment with the current average gender wage gap in Canada, for the first year of their tenancy.

This initiative builds on Avenir’s long-standing commitments to supporting women in business. These include: Clickspace pour Elle, a co-working concept created in partnership with the Scotiabank Women Initiative; and Ladies Who Launch, an annual summit that empowers female entrepreneurs.

Avenir is a real estate firm that owns approximately 2.5 million square feet of self-storage, office, commercial and co-working space across Quebec.

Future growth for Montreal Mini-Storage

After major growth earlier this decade, 500 Sauvé is Montreal Mini-Storage’s first acquisition and new opening since 2023. Without being able to provide specific details, Lafrechoux said the expansion pipeline is pretty full as demand is strong and there are still lots of good locations for self-storage facilities in Montreal.

“We have quite a few projects lined up for the upcoming years, we have a heavy growth plan and we want to continue being the largest provider of self-storage in Quebec,” she said.

Montreal Mini-Storage is known as the homegrown self-storage brand in the province and it locally sources as much of its building materials as it can.

Lafrechoux joined Avenir in June 2021 and has worked in self-storage for more than 15 years. While she’s been based in Montreal, she was also previously involved with designing and developing self-storage facilities across North America for U-Haul.

“What Montreal Mini-Storage has been putting in place here is really cool,” Lafrechoux said. “A lot of people have trouble figuring out Quebec, but we've made it our bread and butter, and it's beautiful.”