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Photo 1: Portrait of Mr. Wilfrid-Étienne Brunet, founder of the Brunet pharmacy chain.
Photo from Archives nationales du Québec, Québec City.


In 1940, clients visiting the Brunet pharmacy on Saint-Joseph were astonished to see the store’s doors open in front of them as if by magic. These automatic doors were activated by a “magic eye,” the first of its kind of Quebec. It was yet another example of the pioneering spirit Brunet has always used to facilitate the lives of its customers.
Photo 2 : Sketch of the exterior of the pharmacy on Rue St-Joseph during the 1940 renovations. Below, the pharmacy laboratory, which is still located at the back of the pharmacy today.


That same year another innovation—albeit a less spectacular one—would have much bigger repercussions on pharmacy practice in Quebec. From that moment on, the Brunet pharmacy’s side room was opened up to the public. Customers were now able to watch the pharmacists as they worked, surrounded by shelves filled with glass containers.
Photo 3 : Entrance to the pharmacy after the 1940 renovations.


For the pharmacy’s centenary in 1955, the laboratory was renovated to make room for the very latest equipment. Behind the prescription counter, six pharmacists would rush to complete 150 prescriptions per day, not wanting to keep their customers waiting!
Photo 4 : The state-of-the-art laboratory in 1955, Brunet’s centenary year. At the time, six pharmacists could work there simultaneously to avoid any delay.


In 1982, Brunet, which had five stores, was bought by a group of five pharmacists from the Québec City area. Dr. Willie Brunet, then president, would continue to practise until 2002. He died the following year at the age of 77.

Since 1987, Brunet has been owned by McMahon Distributeur pharmaceutique Inc., a subsidiary of Metro Richelieu Inc.