Ranissance,  a charitable organization whose mission is job retraining, is a cousin to Goodwill in the U.S. The nearly new (fabulous prices) stuff is neatly organized. They have a dozen stores around the city and even a liquidation outlet  where you can get even more savings than in their stores. Clothes are are low as $1.29 lb., toys $.99 lb., bedding $1.29 lb.

Good deals can be found on clothes of course but also on appliances, indoor and outdoor furniture,  books, sporting goods, dishes or decorative objects. There are 7 separate bookstores too.

Locations: Liquidation Center, 5900, Ferrier St, TMR, H4P 1M7 (514 904-2737) and the Regular store locations: 7250 boul. St-Laurent (514-906-0804); P.A.T., 1530 St-Jean Baptiste (514-640-0245); 3200 Masson (514-376-8836); 6960 St-Hubert (514-274-9666); 4261 Wellington (514-766-5059); 7205 St-Jacques O. (514-484-0145); Plaza Cote-des-Neiges (514-733-6330); 381 boul. des Laurentides, Laval (450-663-8060); 2030 boul. Pie-IX (514 227-2841); 5500 Henri Bourssa est (514-438 387-3971) ; 1495, de l’Église, VSL (514 747-2635); 423 Victoria Ave, St-Lambert (450-465-4764);  and one of the bookstores: Librairie Plateau, 1310, Mont-Royal est (514- 528-9909).
Hours: (mostly) Mon-Wed 9-7, Thurs & Fri 9-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5
www.renaissancequebec.ca

It helps to be versed in the famous 1959 Lorraine Hansberry play about prejudice: A Raisin in the Sun, in order to catch the satire of this Pulitzer Prize winning play, Claybourne Park. Taking place in the same time zone, the first act of this play tells a similar story of blacks starting to move into a white neighborhood near Chicago. This time, it is the white family leaving who receive prejudiced encounters with their community organization.

However the twist here is when the wheel turns from blacks moving into white neighborhoods to the second act, 50 years later, when it’s vice versa. That same neighborhood did eventually become an ethnically proud black neighborhood, but now it is the white urbanites looking for a a good price on real estate near downtown Chicago who buy the same property. The black community group decries the ripping apart of a heritage home into a tall modernized property which would ultimately change the face of their neighborhood.

This play really shows off the versatility of the actors, as they must play entirely different characters in each half of the show. Lisa Bronwyn Moore goes from being a too shrill 50’s matron to a cool lawyer, while Eleanor Noble does a skillful job as Betsy, the wife of the smarmy head of the housing committee. She evolves from an uncomfortable portrait of a comically deaf pregnant 50’s woman into the forceful new home buyer.

Her husband (Karl Lindmer) unfortunately plays slimy husbands in both halves, and he plays them well. Liana Montoro plays a tight polite 50’s maid and then shifts 180 degrees into a sassy enforcer of the community group’s ideals – and does both parts admirably. Kwasi Songui gets to stretch his skills from appearing as the maid’s husband, a self-effacing colored man, into a strong successful member of the upper echelons of Chicago’s social ladder. Harry Stanjofski shows off his blue collar talents in both halves.

Kudos go to the set designer, Michael Eagan and lighting designer Guy Simard, who imagine the same set twice – and to the stagehands who have to move the old one out and the new one in during the short intermission.

In the second half of this dramady, as you watch them all play politely politically correct people having a discussion about the property codes involved, respectability suddenly erodes as their real inner feelings come to the surface. And there you have it – it’s what’s really inside of us that counts in the end.

Location: 453 St-Francois Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: til April 30
Prices $28- $51 (depends on age and day of show)
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

Diapers are a large expense from babyhood to senior years. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have them appear on your doorstep every month instead of having to drag them home from the store – and save money at the same time? Mon Petit Monde (also known as Diaper Warehouse or L’Entrepöt des Couches) delivers disposable diapers for babies and adults.

Established in 1999, they service individual households, elderly care residences, daycares and associations with a vast choice of products and qualities to accommodate all needs and budgets.

Their adult incontinence product line is available in all sizes and absorbencies. It features ATTENDS protective garments, briefs and pads. To ensure optimal pricing, all deliveries are a minimum of 1 case (usually 3 to 4 bags). For the wee ones, there are always Pampers in newborn and size one, and quality generic ones in larger sizes right up to pull ups. They sell diapers for preemies and wipes, too.

Home delivery will take away the burden of constantly checking local ads for occasional specials and carrying home large packages. In addition, to provide a more discreet home service, all delivery vehicles are unmarked.

Mon Petit Monde a local family business offers “a hands on” owner’s touch that is rarely seen in today’s big box store economy.

Tel: 514-955-0101
www.couchesetplus.ca

There’s no reason not to change your bedroom and your mood when you can buy a bedcover and two pillow covers for only $32 at Liquideco’s great savings sale this weekend.  Curtain panels or throw pillows are only $5. Underneath the linens, you can get  mattress covers (3 types) and pillow protectors and then a rug for the floor.  You’ll also come across towels, placemats, dishcloths, tablecloths, shower curtains and bath rug sets.

This month’s great deals:  sheet sets starting at $11, comforter sets at $22, comforters are $17, or pillow protectors (standard size) 2 for $13 or mattress protectors ($11) and bathroom accessories starting at ($4).

Head to their warehouse sale in the east end. It will only be held for 2 days, so at these prices, make sure to stock up on extras.

On this weeks flyer, fill out the coupon for a drawing to be held on Monday, April 10th. You may be the winner of $50 to be used towards merchandise. Don’t forget to deposit the coupon at the cash.

Free parking available and the sale is only till stock lasts.

Location: 8566 Boul. Pie-IX – Click for map 
corner: Boul. Robert
Dates: April 7 & 8
Times: Fri 10-6, Sat 8-3
www.liquideco.com

Mayrand is a wholesale food market and since they were oriented for sales to restaurants, hotels and institutions, their prices have always been excellent. It also means that you can often find select meat in the AA or sometimes AAA grades, whole filet mignons and rib roasts, pork rump and hock, homemade sausages, marinated chicken and pork, fish and seafood

The place is piled 20-feet high with everything you’d find in a supermarket and beyond. It stocks 4 times more selection than that famous warehouse club with more consistency and choices – and NO annual fee. See their flyer below for even better prices this week.

There’s 500 kinds of cheese, ethnic foods (Italian, Latino, Indian, Asian, Mideastern) and they import their fresh produce themselves – no middleman. They buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers whenever possible.

There’s 70 varieties of olive oil, and dozens of flavorful Italian coffees and pastas. It’s fun to shop around and find items like 10 kg. Skippy peanut butter, an entire prosciutto ham or smoked meat, 15 kg honey, 3.5L bags of chocolate chips, pop-up aluminum foil sheets, or little paper lunch bags.

Location: 9701 boul Louis-H-La Fontaine Anjou QC H1J 2A3
corner: rue de Lamartine
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:45-6, Thurs & Fri 6:45-9 pm, Sat 6:45-6, Sun 9-6
www.mayrand.ca
sales@mayrand.qc.ca ou ventes@mayrand.qc.ca

Tapis Decor Chantilly has been open since 1983, offering one-stop decor shopping for both home and office, in one location, at competitive prices. For flooring, they sell the gamut from carpets to laminate floors, solid hardwood to engineered wood, linoleum and marmoleum, as well as PVC strip wood and tiles. They also carry a huge array of window coverings from well-know manufacturers, custom-made drapes and bedding, wall coverings, ceramics and more. They supply and install all of their products; their installers are certified and experienced, and they are RBQ licensed.

Sit back and let their in-house designers walk you through every step, or feel free to go in with your own designer.

– Carpets: Wall to wall, area rugs and runners, in all shapes and custom sizes for residential or commercial, in wool or synthetic, from Shaw, Mohawk, Beaulieu, Couristan, Momeni, Louis de Poortere and others.

– Blinds and Window Coverings: High end custom window coverings from such well-known brands as Hunter Douglas, Maxxmar, Altex, Faber, Shade-O-Matic and more. Since they are a Hunter Douglas Dealer Select company, they can offer the most competitive prices. They can cover any size or shape window. Custom cover your windows with sheers, drapes and swags. If you need them, they sell motorized blinds and black-out coverings.

– Flooring: Laminate floors from names like Alloc and Kronotex. Marmoleum sheet goods are anti-bacterial and perfect for health care or just for healthy environments. Expect a huge array of vinyl tiles such as Armstrong and Amtico, LSI and Centiva, Mondo tiles and Plynyl woven flooring. There are all kinds of special rubber, which is perfect for your home gym or recreation center. From materials for computer rooms (anti-static), lobbies, corridors, elevators, bars, airplanes or any other application, it’s all here.

– Fabric: They carry the extensive lines of Robert Allen, Kravet, Joanne, Rosedale, Avant-garde and more, in silks, satins, velvets, chenilles, leathers or other types of fabric.They employ their own seamstresses and upholsterers to create decorative valences, headboards, draperies or other ideas you may have.

You can even put your feet up and call for their free shop-at-home service.

Location: 707 Lucerne (corner Jean-Talon)
Tel: 514-388-6060
www.decorchantilly.com