Montreal photography store Lozeau sold to Ontario company

A nearly century-old photography institution, Lozeau on St-Hubert Street, has been sold to an Ontario-based company.

Henry's Camera Store bought Lozeau for an undisclosed amount.

Lozeau opened in 1927 and has stayed in the family ever since, but Manon Lozeau-Simard, its vice-president, said the sale will now ensure the store keeps thriving and jobs are safe.

"There have often been offers to buy Lozeau, or open other stores, but that was not part of values," Lozeau-Simard said.

"Henry's is a Canadian family business of three generations, with similar family values, and that's why we were proud to merge with Henry's."

She said that 125 jobs will be preserved because of the sale.

"We sold to ensure the sustainability of the company, also to ensure jobs and expansion, and to cope with the competition, both in-store and online," Lozeau-Simard said.

Lozeau is an institution in the world of photography and video — it also sells drones and equipment like bags and lighting equipment.

Henry's head office is located in Toronto and the family business has existed since 1909. It only had one store until 1992, when it then opened other locations from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.