Q1: Today you want to talk about Montreal’s fabric district, where is it?

We are lucky in Montreal to have a fabric district. St Hubert Street, north of Jean-Talon, which has evolved from the 1940’s to the 90’s from a couple of stores to two dozen or more great places to find any fabric you could need. Where fashion fabrics once were its mainstay, nowadays with all our cocooning, the split is about 50% fashion fabrics and 50% for the home.

Q2: Who’s shopping here?

The typical buyers are fashion designers and design students, decorators with their clients and without clients (then they can charge much more because they can mark up more), theatrical productions, mothers of skaters and of course, you and me.

Q3: So this is where you would go to find fabrics if you want to have clothes made to fit you perfectly or if you are redecorating your home.

Outside of North America, it is still quite popular, no matter what the income bracket, to have your wardrobe made by the neighborhood seamstress. It makes life so much easier that way, and for those of you who hate to shop, this is the ultimate way to never have to buy clothes again. The clothing will always fit your body properly and you will have the colors or fabrics that you like. For your home this is a treasure trove of designs.

Q 3: If we don’t have the time or patience to go into all 2 dozen shops, can you give us some of the highlights?

Starting at Jean Talon and going north on St. Hubert, here is a small menu of what is sold in the fabric businesses on that street:

7186 – Ultratext (514-271-9929) – ribbons, boas, sequin trimmings, elastic, buttons, fringe, peacock feathers, beads, styrofoam balls, boxes of  zippers
7193/5 – Saratex/Sam – one side dedicated to home fabrics and the other side to fashion fabrics. With its very organized huge inventory chock full of a rainbow of colors and kind, you can find it all – including vinyl, beaded ones, bridal and tassels, and they also can make drapes and slip covers. On the 2nd floor there is a liquidation center with bolts as low as $2.99-$9.99 a meter.
7194 – Draperies Georgette (514-270-2045) – made-to-measure  draperies and bedspreads, upholstery, lace
7196 – Draperies St. Hubert (514-274-0364) – fabric for draperies, sheers, laces and made-to-measure
7207 – Myrlene Decor – sheers, cottons, panels, strings, valences, bedspreads made-to-measure
7234 – B.M.Z. (514-272-4334) – inexpensive fabrics and clothing
7254 – Textiles Debouk (514-276-3278) -this is the little store that grew, and it now encompasses enough floor space to satisfy most of your sewing needs. For re-upholstery, you can choose jacquard, moire and cottons, and pick up foam and Dacron for your cushions. For fashion sewing, the newest fabrics with lycra, stretch leathers, vinyl, and wools, Chinese silk, camouflage and netting and Italian light wools are all here, along with curtain panels, boas, buttons and a room of plastic coated textiles.
7282 – Goodman-Carlyle – Quality fabrics at very low prices (90% off) await you here amongst the 1,000’s of bolts in stock (and more in warehouse). The chock full selection for fashion, home and the theatre includes lots of  glitter and shine, there’s an upholstery room, another room of  woolens including cashmere,wool crepe,boiled wool and jacquards  from England, France and Italy. The rest of the store is full of  brocades, lames, lurexes and sequins and then velvets, Italian linen in all widths, cottons, silks, satins, taffetas, corduroys, nylon, stretch lace, fake fur, polar fleece, plasticized fabric, airfoam, and outerwear fabric all piled 10′ high.
7334 – Joliette Textiles (514-276-5444) – small, one aisle inexpensive fashion
7348 – Beads Planet (514-223-1000) – beads to make costume jewelry
7360 – Textiles Riatex (514-271-6050) – huge store full of fashion and upholstery
7361 – Textiles Couture Elle (514-271-1608) – imported fashion fabrics (related to 7399)
7363 – Rubans Boutons – endless display of buttons and 1,000’s of ribbons
7381 – Trim Cite (514-272-7733) – neat, lots of ribbons, beads, cord, appliques, collars, fringes, lace, sequins, tassels, beaded trim
7390 – A.C. Textile (514-279-6201) – 3 rooms lots of fashion fabrics
7399 – Tissus St-Hubert (514-277-5945) – spacious, airy neat, higher end lines (related to 7361)
7432 – Boutique Bilal (514-278-8007) – ribbons, lace trim and collars, all sizes of  zippers, buttons, interfacing, elastic, labels, fringe, boas
7442 – Tissus Tueni (514-277-4785) – neat, party fabrics, jacquards, wool, silk, laces, men’s suiting
7454 – Accessoires de couture St-Hubert (514-278-9416) – tons of trimmings, costume jewelry, buttons, zippers, appliqués, ribbons, large rolls of sewing machine thread
7479 – Fleche Verte (514-278-8507) – beaded trim, pearls for bridal, appliqués, button covering
7488 – Matar Textiles (514-277-6462) – fabric and trimmings, interlinings, buttons, zippers, closings, belt buckles
7498 – Decotec (514-927-5890) – upholstery, tassels, cord, sheers, drapes, foam, re-upholstery and shop-at -home available
7500 – C & M Textiles (514-272-0247) – granddaddy of street, middle to high end for fashion and home. Upon entering, you are assailed by the luscious selection for gowns and bridal wear: guipure, laces, taffetas, embroideries, organzas, silk shantung, tulle and netting. Then there’s silks, woolens, microfibers, linens and sequins. For upholstery and drapery, check out the racks of samples from the mills of Europe and the chenilles, velvets, damasks, tapestries, cotton prints, lace curtaining, ultra suede, outdoor fabrics, blinds & shades. cmtextiles.com
7515 – Le Marche de Textiles “Elzein” (514-271-6017) – fashion and curtains
7541 – Chaton Beads (514-278-8989) – beads, rhinestones, buttons, pearl trimmings, bridal headpiece parts, frogs, satin flowers, sea beads (see book listing for more details)
7609 – Kava (514-271-2888) – giant spools of threads, some notions, zippers, lace trim

1 – Many of us have heard the word Chabanel or shopping at Chabanel, where is it and why bother to go all the way there to shop?

– It’s the name of a street, a district, and a nickname for the Montreal clothing industry
– Chabanel St is north of the Met, off of boul. St-Laurent. There are 7 buildings which are numbered from #99 to #555
– Manufacturers, now distributors, sell direct to public -samples, liquidation and stuff not sold elsewhere.

2 – When can we shop there?

– Sat morn about 9-1
– Be prepared that some may not open that week;  it’s all on the whim of owner. You may find new ones that were not open the last time you were there.
– Certain spots open during week 9-5, like  the 4th floor of the #99 building, or lunch hours or Thurs & Fri 10-4 or whatever they feel like.
– It’s a bit like a treasure hunt.

3 – How is shopping different there?

– You have to look for signs on doors, building entrances, posted on walls, near or in elevators. Sometimes there are people  giving out the flyers.
Check entire showroom, outfits get split up or great,  sample racks might be  in back.
Prices are not always marked, just ask.
Buy immediately. It might not be there when you return

4- Is there a way to approach this for beginners?

– Dress for easy try-ons. You will be probably using a bathroom, an office, or an area behind a curtain (which might be communal).
– I like to wear a money belt so I’m all hand’s free.
– It might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but once you find favorites, those are the ones you’ll go back to next time. – Perhaps think of the first visit there as just exploratory.
– Take elevator to top and work down by staircase

5 – Just how good are the bargains?

Taxes are usually  included and prices can be up to 90% off.

– Bargaining can work here. But when prices are already at $5, $10, you don’t have to if you are uncomfortable.
– Cash (tax included) is usually the method of payment – and no returns
– Last week I bought 2 men’s polo shirts, 1 ladies sweater and a digital thermometer for $12!

For over 78 years, this family business has been known for its amiable and knowledgeable service for cameras and photography equipment. The original business has been in Old Montreal and now they have opened in Laval in the Centropolis area.

You can expect to find a good selection of cameras, cases, tripods, camcorders, digital cameras, printers, scanners and the like at competitive prices. They sell some used equipment and will rent equipment.

New location: 580 Promenade du Centropolis
Phone: 450-687-0067

Original location: 11 St. Antoine West
Phone: 514-861-5401
wwwsimonscameras.com

Q 1: Though downloading music one song at time has become the way to buy music, there are still people that want to own the CD and many want to keep DVD’s of their favorite movies, is there a way to buy these for less?

For students and others with less disposable income, the cost of CD’s and DVD’s  has become so pricey – at minimum wage, it could take an entire 4-hour shift to buy one. My suggestion – shop the second-hand stores for them.

Q2 : Perhaps, we are a bit lazy, but we don’t really want to run all over town looking for what we want, is there an easy way to do this?

We are lucky in that we have a “CD street”,  Mont-Royale Ave. where a bunch of stores are clustered near each other, so shopping for them is made easier. If one place doesn’t have what you want, ease on down the road to the next one.
The shops start just a bit East of  St. Denis Street and then continue East. These stores also sell DVD’s, some used books, perhaps vinyl records and even some pre-owned computer games.

Q3: What about quality and sound with used CD’s?

Unlike cassettes and vinyl before them, they hold up much better in their second-hand versions.

Q4: Can you give us some names and addresses?

L’Echange, 713 Mont Royal Ave. E at Pontiac St. This shop has been around 33 years and is one of the biggest around. In three aisles you will find deals on the used CD’s and DVD’s (good for jazz, pop, blues, folk, rock, French, classical  also small selection games Xbox, Game Cube and Playstation. There’s  some French books at half price or less.

Marche du Disque, 793 Mont Royal Ave. East at St. Hubert St. Rummage through this store with its 10,000 used CD’s, 700 DVD’s and 4,000 new imports. Collectors across the country head here for the basement, where they can find the biggest selection (perhaps 20,000) of used vinyl, oldies and collector’s items. www.disquesmerite.com

Le Fox Troc, 819 Mont Royal Ave. E St. Hubert St. Neatly displayed alphabetically on two walls, 90% of the store is for CD’s and DVD’s (10% vinyl), with just some French music, pop and world beats as well.

Le Free Son, 1477 Mont Royal Ave Et Fabre St. One long and narrow aisle takes you all along the wall of used CD’s and DVD’s, and the other one takes you back to the front with new CD’s. You’ll find used progressive rock, metal, classic rock and francophone music here. Two CD players are available on which you can check out your selections. www.freesonrock.com

I just love this. First I heard about it in Dorval and now Beaconsfield’s Environmental Advisory Committee is doing one. You decide what you no longer want to own and on the designated day, you put the objects on the curb near your home.
Everyone else is invited to drive through the neighborhood and help themselves to whatever interests them. It’s a huge re-cycle event and everything is FREE.You can only help yourself to items left at the curb, nothing on the lawns, driveways, steps, etc.

Date: May 16th, starting at 9 am and lasting til evening

Galeries des Sources is one of the few malls on the island that I would call a liquidation mall. A chunk of the stores are entrepots of chains and others sell really inexpensive (mostly) clothing. This is what was there the last time I was in:

Ardene (514-667-3382 x158) – hair ornaments, caps, flip flops,  bit tops, shoes
Benix & Co. (514-683-2722 or 683-2722) – deals on kitchenware
Bentley (514-685-3746) – bags, purses
Bouclair (514-683-4711) – linens, blinds, bamboo baskets, leathe ottomans, pillows, vases
Boutique Casa Kaura (514-684-6669) – work co-ordinates, tops, bottoms
Bureau en Gros (514-684-1831) – office supplies
Cardon Entrepot (514-421-0334) – $5, $10, $15 ladies’ separates
Chaussures Pop+ (514-685-1699) – inexpensive family shoes, lots athletic sneakers
Cazza Petite Entrepot (514-685-3947) – petite ladies’ shop here
Chausssures Rubino (514-685-7979) – family shoes
Corbeil Electromenagers (514-421-5395) – large appliances
Delilah Entrepot (514-684-0009) – hair ornaments, scarves, jewelry
Dollarama (514-683-7711) – dollar variety store
Hallmark (514-684-9595) – you know the name, cards and stationery
Ka-Do-Meli-Melo (421-6978) – oriental home accessories, lamps, vases
L’Affaire est dans l’sac (514-421-2422) – purses, backpacks, luggage, wallets, evening bags
La Comtesse (514-684-7071) – perfume stand
La Source/par Circuit City (514-683-4753) – electronics
Lingerie Tocade (514-685-8686) – large shop, nightgowns, undies, bras, bathing suits
Manteau Manteau (514-421-9554) – ladies’ coats clearance, clothing
Modes Melanie (514-684-3434) – Jazzy jeans, sparkly tops, gowns
Senso Uomo (514-683-9862) – men’s casual and dress, shirts, slacks
Stitches (514-683-4339) – casual clothes for men and women, jeans, bathing suits, T-shirts
Ti-Top (514-685-6867) – ladies’ undies
Top Ten (514-685-4010) – everything $10 youthful fashions, pants, dresses, bathing suits, dress shirts
Winners (514-683-6260) – full discount store for the whole family

Location: 3237 boul. des Sources
corner: Transcanadienne
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5

When it’s cold outside, act like an animal – cover yourself in fur. If jackets and coats are too pricey, or not your thing, Musi Furs goes beyond the expected coats, jackets, boleros and vests and makes fur blankets, scarves, purses and stuffed animals (that’s funny) out of beaver, mink, chinchilla, Swakara sable and fox. You’re in the new fur building, many other manufacturers are open to the public, poke around (they are listed in my Smart Shopping Montreal book).

Location: 9250 Ave du Parc, Suite 100
corner: Chabanel
Tel: 514-281-9858
Hours:  Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8-1
www.musifurs.com

For my Smart Shopping Montreal fans, I have so much cool new stuff in this edition:

I bumped into green shopping everywhere in the city. I loved Bamboo Entrepot with its bamboo flooring, kitchen cupboards, couches, wine bar, bathtub, clothing and linens. There are environmentally responsible friperies like Folle Guenille or Pre-Loved who take vintage or just pre-worn clothing and rework them into hot one-of-a-kind fashions. Eco Reno is part of the ecological hardware and furniture movement.and offers up old doors, windows, mouldings, bathtubs and plumbing parts so you don’t have to buy new. Or how about Couche Maman Ecolo, the diaper fairy who comes once a week and saves our landfills of mountains of plastic diapers? In Montreal there are local manufacturers for: gift wrap, plaster mouldings, sofa-beds, maternity wear, paint, comforters, cribs, cardboard boxes and even bountiful farmer’s markets.

Once you pick up “Smart Shopping Montreal” it is hard to put it down, as you discover:
– liquidation locales: Lindt chocolate, home theatres, designer shoes, pianos, house renovation products, sporting goods, bras, pasta
– services: people who scoop poop, rent paintings or fur, monogram gifts, send cakes for a special day
– second-hand shops: computer games, maternity clothes, laptops, ergonomic chairs, mouldings

People who treasure saving objects from obsolescence and enjoy the work performed by master craftsmen will find solace in the chapter on repairmen. Do you know where to go to get your espresso machine fixed, costume jewelry repaired, boots widened, baby strollers washed, antique carpets cleaned or holes fixed in your leather couch?

Montreal is lucky to have a large mixture of ethnic groups. Reading through the International Food section takes you around the world with a smorgasbord of stores to entice you to try new flavours, perhaps English marmite and vegemite or “skinny” donuts or pickled mudfish.

In every budget, there is always a place where extra money is spent solving shopping problems. In, the specialty stores (which are often pricey) you’ll find: custom bathing suits, snakes, made-to-order couches, cake decorating, wigs, hard-to-find DVD’s, lace, and moving boxes

It’s time to join up for my Smart Shopping Club www.smartshoppingmontreal.com and receive your own autographed copy of my book. Happy Shopping!

A day in the country in the summer is a good day. A good reason to head there is the1001 Pots show in Val-David in the Laurentian mountains. For the past 20 years, they have been throwing pots and all kinds of porcelain objects (bowls, tea sets, lamps, sculpture, jewelry, vases, plates) becoming the largest exhibition of ceramics in Canada with 124 exhibitors. With so much to choose from, you are sure to find something you like.

Location: 2435 de l’Eglise, Val-David
Dates: Until August 10th
Hours: Daily 10-6
www.1001pots.com

Where would you go if you were looking to add a bowl of fake fruit to your decor? St. Paul Street in Old Montreal has the wrong reputation of having just tons of souvenir shops for tourists. Since I poke through store by store, I know there are really worthwhile ones to enter on that street. Tant qu’il y aura des fleurs…has been in my Smart Shopping Montreal book for years as there are always homey objects to flesh out your decor scheme: quilts, roosters, candlesticks, vases, serving dishes. But each time I walk in, my eyes search out the display of fake fruit: apples, pears, bananas, grapes, lemons, peaches, etc. which has been there forever. Who is buying them?
Location: 347 St. Paul St. East, Old Montreal
Phone: 514-395-9079
Hours: Daily in Winter 10-5, Summer 10-7 (may vary)