For designer floor products, this airy, huge (4,000 sq feet, 30 ft ceiling) new carpet showroom has always been known by word of mouth – and that’s a good sign. For the past 49 years, this family-run business has been selling quality carpeting from major American and European mills.  It’s their hands-on personalized service which keeps everyone coming back.

Popular now, wood-like vinyl planking, wall-to- wall carpeting for movie rooms, and a large collection of carpet tiles are all here.  They also carry area rugs (contemporary, transitional, traditional, natural, custom), runners and exclusive designer carpet lines. For both carpeting and area rugs, they can do custom borders, add fringes, do finishings and also handle repairs and carpet cleaning. If you’re looking for entrance mats or even logo mats, just come here.

Since they buy in volume for their commercial sales, they can meet and beat the prices of their competitors. Commercial clients know to come here for carpet, tiles, and vinyl flooring.

Once you’ve entered, expect the friendly staff to give you an education on flooring. Their mission is to provide you with exceptional service and quality products, at the most affordable prices – and they meet these goals consistantly.

NEW Location: 2001 Rte Transcanadienne
corner: boul. des Sources
Tel: 514-421-1616
Hours (summer): Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
www.normandycarpets.ca

Mayrand is a wholesale food market and since they were oriented for sales to restaurants, hotels and institutions, their prices have always been excellent. And they still have sale flyers to entice you even more. See their flyer below for even better prices this week; How about fresh trout fillets $7.99/lb or AAA Beef Bavette $12.99 lb., chicken legs with back $2.29/lb, romaine lettuce 2/$1.69, cauliflower $1.89, limes 0.15 each, and 8lb McIntosh/Cortland apples $4.89?

You do not have the extra cost of a membership fee to shop at food wholesaler, Mayrand. The aisles are 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.

As a wholesale market, 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

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

I don’t need to use a steel wool pad very often for difficult clean-ups of pots and pans. It occurred to me that every time I used one, it would sit for awhile til the next use – and rust away.  So I’d throw it away. It seemed like you only got one use out of them.

Then the Eureka moment hit. I don’t really use the whole pad each time. So why not cut them in half? Half had enough thickness to scrub. This way I only throw away half when they rust. When I buy a new box, I take a scissors, cut all of them in half right away. So now when you need one (and are too lazy to cut it at that moment), they’re all ready to use.

When setting up a new house or apartment, why not buy quality products that the restauranteurs use so they last a long time? Head to the Marche Centrale area, to Tzanet, for restaurant grade quality equipment for cooking and baking. It has always been a popular shopping destination for hotels and restaurants, but you too can take advantage of their quality and variety.

All of your cooking and baking needs are met with name brands like Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Good Grips gadgets, a big selection of quality knives by Victorinox, a huge variety of dishes by Dudson from England, Arcopal from France and professional quality stainless steel pots and pans.

They sell Chicago Metallic Bakeware, a 100 year-old company which produces bakeware with a non-stick surface, which releases easily and clean-ups up effortlessly afterwards. Bakers and cake and cupcake decorators will also love the 50 ft. wall of Wilton products – and so will you.

Why not buy fast food trays or cutting boards in different colours to match any decor, 3′ pepper mills, tipped glass candy jars, call bells, oval stainless platters, cocktail shakers, oil table lamps, many sizes of pizza pans, strainers, whisks, a single serving teapot, booster seats or bamboo steamers? And if you need them, there’s a section of second-hand equipment like dishes, mixers, tables and chairs, etc.

Location: 1375 Louvain
corner: boul. l’Acadie
Tel: 514-383-0030
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5
Other Location: 710 rue Bouvier, Quebec G2J 1A7 (581-742-9876)
www.tzanet.ca

Morris Charney building inspections are so thorough, that he scares real estate brokers. Charney is good at finding defects. He does all kinds of buildings from single-family homesor or condos as well as commercial and industrial buildings.

Most inspectors when they find a defect will refer the matter to an expert. Mr. Charney is an expert, a member of two Québec Orders – ­ professional (practicing) architect and city planner.  He is a member of IHINA (Independent Home Inspectors of North America) based in Boston ­ and he happens to be a Harvard graduate.

Typical pre-purchase inspections run about $1500 + tax for a verbal report or you can buy a written one. Reference is made to current and past building codes. All reports are customized narratives, not computer-generated checklists -­ just the defects, clearly explained. The information provided in both the verbal and written reports are the same. His practice has included renovating many homes, offices and stores so he has a good idea of what things cost. You can check out his LinkedIn site which contains numerous up to date posts regarding typical defects that have been discovered.

Most consumers don’t realize that the “new” Civil Code of Québec [1994] deregulated building inspections so that anyone has a right to do them – even the purchasers themselves. The only stipulations are that it be done in a “prudent and diligent” manner, “without the need of expert assistance”.

Charney believes that a purchaser has the right to be properly informed of what it is they are buying.

Tel: 514-937-5100
Hours: by appointment
www.morrischarneyinspections.com, www.morrischarneyinspectionsfr.com
mcharney@videotron.ca