Terre A Soi Magasin Général Écologique

Sisters Annie and Karine Martel will be the first to admit they don’t come from an entrepreneurial background. “I used to be an account manager in a bank, and I wasn’t really happy at work,” recalls Annie. “My sister, on the other hand, was very happy working in theatre, but the only problem is that work is very stop and go in that field, and she was seeking more stability.” Then one evening, they discussed the idea of them starting a business together, one that reflected their values.

The duo decided to open a restaurant with a strong artistic slant in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, which they ran from 2004 to 2013. And in 2009, Terre à soi was borne out of that restaurant.

“The idea was to start a kind of neighbourhood general store, where families can find environmentally-friendly alternatives to everyday products: dish soap, laundry products, household cleaners, cosmetics, fertilizers. All of the products we carry are formulated to be far less toxic for human and animal health than conventional products.” Terre à soi is, in that way, the green heart of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.