If you've ever gone shopping at Plaza St-Hubert while it's raining you've likely been kept dry by the familiar awnings overhead.
The shopper friendly, element protecting awnings are now coming down.
"The awning was here when we started, so it's sad to see it go," Annie Tchakedjian told CTV Montreal. She's run jewelry store Bijouterie Chris d'Or for 25 years.
The work is part of a multi-million dollar project that is set to revitalize the street, but the real work in the area only starts in July, 2018.
"They could have waited for an extra year, because that's when they're going to do the full renovations of the aqueduct and that's when a lot of people are going to start to suffer," Tchakedjian said.
The main concern for shop owners is once the full project gets underway with crews replacing aqueducts, sewers and the sidewalk, shoppers may not want to stick around.
"Are they going to be able to shop here? Are we going to lose a lot of customers? Will they go to shopping centres?" she said.
The merchant's association shares those concerns, but has been told the city won't leave them empty handed.
"The mayor has assured us that the city will go forward to compensate the businesses," said association president Mike Parente.
After the revitalization of at Plaza St-Hubert is complete new awnings will be installed, but only in 2021, meaning it will be quite awhile before Montrealers are protected from the rain, sleet or snow on their next shopping spree.