A vintage velvet couch rests between wooden shelves of eyeglasses at Off The Wall Eyewear Emporium. Local art and sunglass holders with moustaches decorate the walls. The shop on Elmwood Drive opened in November 2017 with some quirky not-so-common eyewear products.

“They say that people want to be in the same group as everybody else. Everybody wants to conform. I’m like, ‘nah! That’s not true.’ There’s always a little bit of something in everybody who likes to bend the rule just a little, so I’m bringing in that option,”  owner Steve Charlebois.

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The Ottawa native’s romance with eyewear started with a strange incident 25 years ago. Charlebois and his friend had walked into an eyewear store in Ottawa. Seeing his long hair and clothing, the owners thought he was planning to steal something. But a friendship developed instead.

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“One day, the one guy just said, you should do this. Because I started helping out at their store, just for fun. I didn’t even get paid,” he said.

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Charlebois listened. He went to optician school at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont. and worked at a lens crafter owned by Italian eyewear giant Luxottica. That brought him to the east coast, where the company closed its operations during the 2008 financial crisis.

Eventually, Charlebois and his wife ended-up in Moncton. He had found work as an instructor for Oulton College’s optician program, which he helped launch by writing the curriculum. But after a few years, Charlebois decided it was time for a change.

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“I thought about going back to school and changing careers entirely, and I was like, no. I’ve planned [the shop] for 10 years,” he said.

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On their 3rd year, they have opened a second store at 1633 Mountain Road in Moncton.  This store is likely the BIGGEST optical store in the maritimes.  With a full lab, two optical lanes and full office for eye doctors, plus a massive selection of Canadian and European designer glasses, this store is unique with an amazing vibe.

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Off The Wall Eyewear Emporium carries retro eyeglasses by Shuron, as well as brands like Zeal, Coco & Breezy, Ronit-Furst, TopLook, MODO, Spectacle Eyewerks, Fatal, Maui Jim, Dandy's, Rogers, Hemp Eyewear, EnChroma, and 3D Printed L-oL. The shop also sells contact lenses, sunglasses, motorcycle goggles, swimming goggles, safety glasses and provides repair, lens cutting, and lens fitting services.