Our Story
Maritime owned and operated since 1983.
We opened our doors in 1983 with humble beginnings on Lutz Street in Moncton, New Brunswick. As a family-owned shop, we sold cameras and film, including the popular 35mm format, processed photos, and helped customers pick the right gear for their needs. Photographers of all skill levels brought in their film, talked to someone with real photography know-how, and came back time and time again for advice they could trust. That kind of care laid the foundation for the reputation we've built on ever since.
A new location
Within a few short years, Ivan's needed a bigger home. We bought a new building at 181 St. George Street, which has been our home ever since. The bigger space made room for a larger team and a wider range of services, including film processing, photo restoration, passport photos and more. As times and technology changed, we stayed at the leading edge. When digital photography took over, Ivan's was an early adopter and one of the first places in the region you could buy the high-end DSLRs that were just hitting the market. Digital printing soon followed, letting customers bring in memory cards instead of film rolls.
Focus on audio visual
The move into audio visual was a natural extension of what we already did. Schools, government, and other institutions across all fields came to us for all their audio-video needs. That meant photos turned into slides, overhead projectors, reel-to-reels, TV carts, you name it. Under the leadership of our President Dave Melanson, the AV side has grown into the largest audio-video integration team in the Maritimes. We still handle anything from the classroom to the boardroom, but we've also scaled up to major retailers (including IKEA), hockey arenas (including the Avenir Centre in Moncton), places of worship, and everything in between.
Expanding into Nova Scotia
As demand grew, Ivan's started taking on more AV work in Nova Scotia, with technicians driving over from Moncton regularly. The volume reached a point where customers would be better served by having a local team on the ground. We hired a local technician based out of his home in the Halifax area, then quickly added another, along with sales and operations staff at our current Dartmouth location. In 2025, that space doubled in size to over 4,500 square feet, supporting a team of ten.
The Nova Scotia office has a large presence serving educational facilities, hospitality, and government clients, but is equipped to handle any project, big or small. You'll see our Ivan's vans parked at schools, universities, government and private offices all across Nova Scotia.
Tech Expo and Camera Expo
Ivan's hosts two annual events that bring the industry together under one roof. Our AV Tech Expo launched in 2019 as the largest of its kind in Atlantic Canada, drawing business leaders, IT staff, and integrators to see the latest in commercial AV, conferencing, digital signage, security, and more.
Building on the success of the Tech Expo, we launched the Camera Expo in 2025 to similarly great success. It's Atlantic Canada's only photography expo of its kind, two days of hands-on time with cameras, lenses, and accessories from major manufacturers, plus trade-in opportunities and drone demonstrations.
Welcoming Hirtle's
When the chance came to expand into Prince Edward Island, we took a different path. After more than 50 years on the island, Hirtle's Sound Solutions owner Barry Hirtle was looking to wind down. We acquired the business in 2025, keeping Barry on in a key role and the Hirtle's name and legacy intact. Hirtle's brings decades of experience designing and installing audio-video systems for sports arenas, schools, restaurants, churches, retail, and homes, and has been the sound system supplier for every Canada Games hosted by PEI.
Ivan's AV Home opens
We launched Ivan's AV Home in 2026 as Moncton's premium consumer electronics showroom, carrying brands like Paradigm, WiiM, Kanto, Pro-Ject, Samsung, and LG. The space sits upstairs from Ivan's Camera, putting consumer experience under the same roof as the photography expertise the city has known for over 40 years. With decades of commercial AV experience already in-house, the move into consumer retail was a natural fit.
Home theatre and audio gear has to be seen and heard in the right environment to be understood. That's why we built our showroom to feel like a home, not a sales floor. It lets our experts guide customers through how the gear will actually look and sound in their own space, so they can sit down, listen, watch, and compare before making a decision.
And still growing...
Ivan's has recently purchased a new 6,000 square foot building in Charlottetown that will house commercial audio visual, consumer electronics, and the camera store under one roof. Hirtle's Sound Solutions is relocating into the new space, and in June 2026 Ivan's Camera arrives on the island with the same photo expertise Moncton has relied on for over 40 years.
The space will also carry the premium brands found at Ivan's AV Home, giving PEI access to a full retail experience alongside the audio visual installation work Hirtle's is known for.
From a small camera shop on Lutz Street to three locations across the Maritimes, what hasn't changed is how we do business. Proudly Maritime owned and operated since 1983.