A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a canister body having a recess with sidewalls that extend upwardly from a platform, the platform having a pre-motor filter housing with a pre-motor filter positioned therein, wherein at least 50% of a perimeter of the pre-motor filter is recessed inwardly from the sidewalls of the recess whereby, when a pre-motor filter is positioned in the pre-motor filter housing, a portion of the platform is visible between the perimeter of the pre-motor filter and the sidewalls of the recess. An air treatment assembly is removably mountable to the canister body and seats on the recess when the air treatment assembly is mounted to the canister body.