Montreal's storied Quebec Smoked Meat shop to close for good

After a 73 year run, storied butcher shop Quebec Smoked Meat in Montreal’s Southwest borough will close its doors for good on June 30

“My time has come,” said the Point-Saint-Charles shop's owner, Richard Nower.

Despite serving a dedicated clientele, Nower says it’s time to pack it up. He says he’s been battling labour shortages, and couldn’t find a suitable successor.

“Even my staff don't want to continue working in the meat line,” he said.

“You need to find good, qualified people for the meat line, and it's hard,” he said, adding the job comes with significant mental and physical stress.

“When one of my sons saw how overwhelming it was for me, I guess he didn't want any part of it,” he said. “You spend most of your life here, and it becomes your life.”

After decades in business, Quebec Smoked Meat is an institution on Centre St. It’s not just regulars who will have to find a replacement, the deli sold their products to other restaurants too. Café Bloom owner Norah Pare says the closure is leaving a hole in their menu.

“We've been using their bacon I think since the beginning of Bloom,” she said. “They’re part of the flavour of the restaurant.”

-- For a look inside the iconic deli, watch the video report above by CTV’s Sasha Teman