Magasin Festival Store,  owned by a manufacturer of corrugated boxes,is the place to buy (ask about the liquidated ones) boxes (1.5 to 6 cu. ft) for moving, storing and shipping, with special ones for mirrors, artwork, lampshades, golf bags, bicycles, dishes and crystal and wardrobes. Protective packing supplies are here, like bubble wrap, inkless newsprint, tissue paper and foam chips.  

Prices:  liquidated boxes  $.20-.40,  new boxes 1.08 & up. Festival will buy back their boxes at greatly reduced prices. You can even order custom boxes for strangely shaped objects

8286 Cote de Liesse, Ville St-Laurent
corner: Montee de Liesse
Phone: 514-340-1119
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5
www. festival.ca

Other moving tips:

First box/last box. Label a box “first box” and put in the last things you packed so you can quickly access your sheets, covers, toothbrush, toiletries, phone, toilet paper, towels, cutlery, dishes or paper plates and shower curtain. On an exhausting moving day, you just want the basics quickly accessible to fall into bed.

Packing tips:

Pack 2 or 3 boxes a day, starting as soon as you find out you are moving and they will be magically done by the time you have to move. Save packing space and money by wrapping fragile things in towels, sheets, duvets and blankets. Don’t leave suitcases empty, move your clothes in them. If you don’t want to buy wardrobe boxes, for hanging clothing, tape hangers together and move in bundles.

Q1: Today you want to let us know that although there might be oil spewing in the Gulf of Mexico, there will be no more oil spills possible in Montreal.

A: That’s right. We have reached the end of the line for oil or alkyd paint for painting inside our homes. With so many people getting ready for moving, and getting their new abode ready to live in, I just want  to let you know that as of the end of this year, paint stores will not be getting any more deliveries of oil based paint for painting inside or outside their homes. If they love the durability and wearability of this paint, they better get it now. The stores will be given two years to sell off whatever they have left on their shelves.

Q2: Why is it being taken off the market?

A: The reason is for reduced emissions in the air. The solvents in oil based paints take perhaps 30 days to dissipate into the atmosphere.

Q3: What if we had oil based paint on our walls or our shingles, what do we do now when we want to re-paint? And what do we do about areas that need the scrub-a-bility of oil paint?

A: You can go from oil to latex by sanding the walls, or using TSP (trisodium phosphate) cleaner and then using a primer in order for it to adhere properly. Paint companies, like Benjamin Moore has come up with en entirely new generation of paint. Theirs is called Aura which is tougher than conventional latex. It has a new molecular structure and is the biggest chemical change in paint since the  1950’s. You can scrub it to death.  Aura seals in an hour or two. No toxins being released as it seals so rapidly.

Q4: Where can we go to get this paint?

The outside of the Hub has an old-timey neighborhood feel and inside it reaffirms what shopping should be. Sure it’s a hardware store (some plumbing, gardening too) with personalized service but the raison d’etre these days is the bubbly decorating consultant who offers you a cappuccino and steers you through any decorating dilemmas (can even come to your house if needed). There’s Benjamin Moore paint, tons of wallpaper books, fabrics for curtains, blinds & shutters, Richelieu hardware, supplies to do the project, or even her little black book of experts to do it all for you.

Locations: 441 boul. Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield (514-695-3389); 3460 boul. des Sources (514-421-1454).
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs 8-8, Fri & Sat 8-5, Sun 12-5.
www. hubhardware.ca

City Paint is Montreal’s oldest paint store, open since 1898. Name brands sold here are Benjamin Moore and Mythic, along with stains and varnishes and tons of brushes. Yes, they’ve got the color matching computer, and low VOC, no VOC and the only VOC paint without toxins, but it is the service, the good old-fashioned kind, that has kept people coming back for generations from all over the city. If it’s good enough for the Mulroneys, it’s good enough for you.

Location: 200 rue Rachel est at Hotel de Ville
Phone: 514-288-8009
Hours: (Mar-Oct) Mon-Wed 7:30-5, Thurs & Fri 730-8,  Sat 9-4, Sun 11-4;  Nov-Feb) Mon-Fri 7:30-5, Sat 9-4
www.citypaints.ca

Q5: Is there any place we can go for the best price for paint?

Les Industries Gotham is a family business which has been manufacturing paint under many brands for the past 43 years. You can buy factory direct with friendly service and get an excellent product which yields a better result than some name brands at twice the price. Interior latex acrylic is only $27 for 3.78 litres, or you can buy it by the contractor’s pail of 18.9 litres for $95. They have ceiling paint, exterior latex, gray cement floor paint, industrial and more. They can also match your color with their computerized color matching system.

Location: 231 Rene A. Robert, Ste. Therese
Phone:  450- 435-1227
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-4

Both Rona  and Reno Depot are having a 25% off sale on Sico Paint up until June 29th If you like Sherwin-Williams paint, I’ve come across one store in Pierrefonds (4798 boul. St-Jean Tel: 514-696-2000) which is offering 40% off until July 4th.

Q6: Any other comments?

– Stores will still be able to sell alkyd paint for industrial use – for outdoors,  metal, floors, rust.
– They are also coming out with hybrid paints that use oil resins in them but can be mixed with water.
– There are also O VOC paint to be used in baby’s rooms, or to be able to paint while pregnant or for people with immune deficiencies.

This one is from an ad in a local newspaper and I have never gone so I  don’t know what brands you will find there. It says that there is a large assortment of swimwear, bodywear, t-shirts and summer tops for women, juniors, girls, men and boys. Size range is huge from children to plus sizes.

Location: 212o Transcanadienne (next to Meubles Ottimo), south service road east of Boul. des  Sources
corner: Boul. des Sources
Dates and Times: June 16-18: 9-6, June 19: 9-3

Well the words St-Laurent pop up again for yet another street sale this weekend. The sale is a mix between the merchants on the street who put out tables to sell overstocked items and also one where residents can rent a space at Beaudet Park (corner of Du College and Decarie, next to the Metro entrance).

This part of it is called  “Marché Urbain” and it is a community garage sale where residents display their wares and used items in order to sell them (cover charge is 20$ per table).  The merchant association also hires jugglers, clowns, painters, inflatable games and musicians so families can have a fun time.

Location: Boul. Decarie, VSL from Cote Vertu to Du College
Dates: June 18 (only a smattering of merchants): hours vary, June 19 (main day) : 12-5, June 20: 10-4ish
Tel: 514-747-3045

Boulevard St-Laurent has been hard hit over the last few years as the city has taken it upon themselves to rip it up to renew it, over and over again. It’s time to re-learn the new shopping on the street and give these local merchants a bit of our community support.

This weekend the Boulevard St-Laurent sidewalk sale will be happening from Thursday to Sunday. The street sale begins at Sherbrooke and goes all the way up to Mont-Royale.  Some of the stores mentioned in my Smart Shopping Montreal book that fall into that section of the street:

3653 Slovenia – homemade sausages: veal knockwurst, lyoner, pariser, schnitzel, all kinds of bacon and on…
3667 Nino La Cuisinere – for all things kitchen
3843 Boucherie Hongroise – grab one of their sizzling sausages to go while you peruse the street
3885 La Vieille Europe – charcuterie and foods from all over the world
3985 Frenco en Vrac – bulk food for more natural products
4358 Schreters – best shop on the street for men’s and boys clothing and now- ladies shoes

Dates and Times: June 17 & 18: 9:30-9, June 19 & 20: 9:30-6. Some stores on the lower Main, closer to Sherbrooke may stay open later on the weekend as they are in the busy restaurant area.

Manhattan Industries does not usually offer their premium brands at their warehouse sales. However the they are holding this week offers up:  Superdry. AG Adriano Goldschmied and i.am.  The weekend sample clearance sale is for men’s and women’s clothing and shoes at 50% to 70% off.

The brands they usually offer and still will have at this time: Industry (edgy streetwear for men and women sizes XS-L), Industry shoe company (mens’ casual and dressy leather shoes sizes 38-44), Pure & Simple (women casual basics, some for men), Debbie Schuchat (designer 2-piece outfits, blouses, dresses, outerwear), Brown Sound, d Collection and Me(el) (ladies feminine tops, dresses sizes XS-L).

Location: 6150 Transcanadienne
Corner of Isabey, Ville St. Laurent
Dates: Fri June 18:5-9 &  Sat June 19: 9-1
www.manhattaninc.com
www.meelclothing.com
www.industryclothing.com
www.pureandsimple.com
www.debbieshuchat.co

The best monthly sales of linens, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, carpets, comforters, pillows,  shower curtains, carpets, bath towels, mats, dishcloths, oven mitts, etc.

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri May 18: 11-6;  Sat May 19: 8-1
www.liquideco.com

Q1: With Father’s Day coming up this week, where should we concentrate our efforts for dear old dad?

A: Let’s face it, Dad will buy whatever new gadget comes out but does not have the enthusiasm or interest to shop for clothing. His wardrobe is probably so dated that it’s time to redecorate him.

Q2: What would be out-of-style in men’s clothing? What needs updating to bring him into this decade?

Take a look at his pants, do they have pleats? Suits too – do they have pleats and are they double-breasted? He needs flat fronted pants and shorts. How about sport shirts – are they pale colors and baggy, boxy? Sports shirts now are fitted. Colors are bold, vibrant and shirts have stripes or plaids, and feature two pockets.

Q3: Is there anything else we can do to make him a fashion plate?

Colors this season are lavender and purples in dress shirts and golf shirts. Washed out colors in pants. For summer, buy him  ½ socks to wear inside running shoes so he doesn’t pull up his dress socks when he wears shorts. How about buying him his first shirt or pants with stretch in them, they’re so comfortable. Once you wear stretch, you never go back.

Q4: Where can we go to get the best bang for our buck?

Designer Fashion Outlet is a true outlet, which carries Double J, Royal Robbins, Jeanne Pierre, Daniel Cremieux, Weekendz Off, Ibex and names we can’t mention here at savings of 50%-90% off for men’s and ladies’ separates, jackets, pants, shirts, sweaters and outerwear. They sell this season’s samples (sample sizes: men medium and large, women small and medium), leftovers, and discontinued styles. They also have footwear and Kelty outdoor products. You can even catch $5 racks here. Come often as stock changes weekly (sometimes daily!).

Location: 5575 Royalmount, Ville Mont-Royal
corner: Devonshire
Phone: 514-739-3122 X214
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-2, Sat 9-1

Q:5 Any other places to shop for men?

This weekend there’s a Decarie Blvd sidewalk and community sale on Decarie Blvd in VSL. Jaf Pret-a-Porter is part of that sale. Their sidewalk sale promo for fathers’ day is 3 polo shirts for $20 and inside the store if you spend $85 you receive for free a zipped cotton sweater.

Jaf is a neighbourhood corner store which has deals on men’s clothes, some with well known names. Helpful salesmen will find you pants (to 50) and shirts (to 5XL) starting at $25, suits (to 56) at $175 – $995, sports jackets $175 & up, sweaters, jackets, and free on the spot alterations. There are also made-to-measure suits and shirts, and some suits for athletically built men. Ask about tuxedos and rentals, and if you need them, boys’ suits in sizes 4-20.

Locations: 900 boul. Decarie, Ville St-Laurent at Decelles (514-744-0985); 619 boul. Rene-Levesque (514-877-9888); 3240 boul. St-Martin o. (450-978-9661);  Centre de liquidation (look for the 4/$40 table in the front), 1880 St-Martin o. (450-688-3636).
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-4
www.jaf.ca

On the boutique end of the scale is Boutique Jacques. They are offering 2-for-1 golf shirts. However for the next two weeks, you can get 2-for-1 on everything in the store; So a better deal would be to buy one $500 suit and get the second one free. Just tell them Sandra sent you.

For the well-dressed man who wouldn’t dream of going “discount shopping”,  here you will receive one-on-one boutique service along with top of the line men’s domestic and European suits – (sugg. retail $450 – $2,000) at discounts of up to 50%. To round out your wardrobe, you can choose from their formal wear, sportswear and golf wear. There is a complete tailor shop on the premises and they offer made-to-measure. For 54 years, this family-run business has always been known for its excellent service, quality and prices. This boutique is a real find; it’s worth going to, wherever you happen to live.

Location: 5970 Cote-des-Neiges
corner: Linton
Phone: 514-737-1402
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs 9-8, Fri 9-3, Sun 10-4
www.boutiquejacques.com

Q6: Any last comments?

A: If you are going to give them gift certificates, make sure you purchase one at a store where they usually shop.

If you have my book, Smart Shopping Montreal, you know about the fabulous Bikini Village Entrepot where women and men can score great prices on swim wear all year long. As if that wasn’t good enough, they have started warehouse sales when the stock piles up too high. Everything is nicely  separated by size and most of the items are  hung on racks like a regular store.

From now until they run out of stock, you can just feel the summer breezes when trying on swimsuits (Roxy, Skye, Turquoise, Billabong, Beach Couture, O’Neill, Captiva, Bikini Bar & Shan) and have enough money left over (prices are 90% 0ff) for a day at the beach.

Location: 3619 Cote Vertu
corner: Begin
Hours: Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 12-5
Date: Now til they run out of stock
www.bikinivillage.com

Every June, or thereabouts, on a Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm, Le Panier gift store holds its only sale, called The Lemon Sale. Everything (gourmet food, toys, gadgets, kitchenware, home decor) that needs to be cleared out is sold really cheaply from 50% to 90% off. Come early – things go fast and it’s cash and carry – no cards.

300 Bord du Lac, Pointe Claire
corner: St-Joachim (sale is in the rear parking lot)
Tel: 514-695-7038
Date: Sat June 12: 8am-2pm, Rain date is Sun June 13
www.thepanier.com