The book/magazine section is now all the way in the back and very symbolic. He is learning, however, to choose his battles, and that he can’t please everyone. (Photo by Mélanie Dusseault)īen is sheepish of the imperfections and the store’s lack of focus, but through the colourful cacophony of products, there is a real desire to accommodate and please. They were also the only importer of Latin American food products in the 70’s.īen Mar Iglesias Franco and yours truly- Come and join us on 'Round Table Tours' Iberian Montreal tour: circuit of tapas, pintxos and petiscos. La Libreria Española became the go-to for Spanish food products. In 1978, conflicts with a landlord, a flood and the need for more space pushed Narciso to move La Librairie from the St-Dominique and Roy location and consolidate it with El Hogar Latin in its present home at 3811 St. In the 70’s, La Libreria started importing Spanish food. Narciso also bought a Latin American grocery and media store on Rachel in 1976 called El Hogar Latin. Benmar Franco Iglesias, Benjamin’s son, said jokingly that a helicopter picked him up and dropped him directly in the shop. Benjamin Franco, Narciso’s brother, immigrated from Spain in 1976 to come and help his brother with the shop. Narciso Franco immigrated to Montreal in 1967. It was a Spanish media store with newspapers, books and magazines that kept Spanish immigrants up to speed with what was going on in Spain. La Librairie Espagnole was opened by Jose Manuel Sanchez in 1964 on the corner of Roy and St-Dominique.

Oreracion Bisonte, Operacion Marta) in the late 50’s and 60’s to work on cattle farms, as domestics or in the textile industry, or of their own device and always to flee a brutal post-war Spain. The majority of Spanish immigrants came to Montreal as part of Spanish immigration projects (eg.

The Food and Pinata mascots (Photo by Mélanie Dusseault: )

Microcosm in spanish