Steve’s Music Store on Catherine Street closing, liquidating items

Steve’s Music Store is set to close most of its locations in Ontario and Quebec, including the store in Ottawa. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

A Centretown music store is selling off its items and shutting its doors.

A representative from Steve’s Music Store, on Catherine Street, told CTV News the location would be closing, though the exact date of the closure is unclear.

A post on the Steve’s Music Store Instagram account lists the Ottawa location as one of five being liquidated, alongside a Toronto location and three others in the Montreal area.

Steve’s Music has had a presence in Ottawa for over four decades.

It first opened on Rideau St. in 1981, and last year moved to a new location on Catherine Street.

General Manager Dan Sauvé says it’s been a place for everyone, from new enthusiasts to professionals, to foster their musical passions.

“It was a place where you’d go and find your forever guitar. Well, until the next one, because guitar players will be guitar players,” he said with a laugh. “It was a place where you’d just discover really cool stuff that you didn’t know you wanted.”

Sauvé says the store has even been a place for some politicians too, including former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who came by to purchase a keyboard.

“Fun fact: every prime minister since Joe Clark has bought an instrument on their way out of retirement, including the last one, on his way to the Mark Carney swearing in ceremony,” he said.

Customers like Mike Murphy and Derek Noppe say they will miss the store and its employees.

“Losing an icon,” Murphy said. “Sort of a part of my youth. Part of the music scene and everything. Steve’s is going down. It’s like we’ve lost a player, you know?”

Noppe said he was shocked to hear the news.

“They’ve been around forever. It’s sad,” he said, while buying a new guitar, his third from Steve’s.

“I think every musician has probably shopped here at one point or another,” he said. “So, it’s meant a lot.”

Mike Kirman, son of founder Steve Kirman, told CTV News Montreal that all stores are going through restructuring and they will be “closing a couple of stores” to “stay strong in a competitive market.”

Sauvé said the company is set to shut down nearly all of its locations in Ontario and Quebec in the coming weeks, with the exception of it’s downtown Montreal location.

With files from CTV’s Christine Long and CTV’s Daniel J. Rowe.

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