This weekend is the annual salute to Jane Jacobs, an activist, writer, and philosopher of architecture and urban planning.  When doing her urban planning, the citizen’s knowledge of an area was extremely important to her in order to build human-scale cities.

S0 back in 2007, in Toronto, an event was held where Free urban walks were offered. Now over one hundred cities in the world give free walks in May. We have dozens here in Montreal. Most are in French, but some are English and a few bilingual, everything from architecture to green spaces to a scavenger hunt and a meditative walk.

You must register online and some are filled up, but don’t despair, there’s spots left from Pointe Claire to Anjou.

Some English ones: Green & Growing: Le Plateau & the Quartier des Spectacles,
– À La pointe claire – visite guidée à pied du Village de Pointe-Claire (bilingue)
– Little Burgundy yesterday and today
– History, Architecture and Taste Tour – Pointe St-Charles and Verdun (bilingual)
– Pioneers of the Picket Line: Lea Roback, Madeleine Parent, and the history of women in the labour movement
– Appreciation Walk : Au Bord de L’Eau
– Walk together with us : Fielding-Walkley 2 hours
– Discover the Lost Island of St. Raymond’s, the MUHC and St. Henri
– Benny Farm Sherbrooke Forest (A world in 6 blocks)
– Randonnée au pied des rapides (bilingue)

http://www.ecologieurbaine.net/

It’s always so much fun when a theatrical experience, be it a movie or a play, takes place in your own home town. The insider information and jokes make you feel like you are part of a private club. The Centaur Theatre’s last play of the season, Triplex Nervosa, is Montreal-Mile-End centric, even including music by Mile-Ender Patrick Watson.

So many of us have nurtured the idea that if we just buy a triplex, it can provide a steady income and eventually even a retirement plan. For artists who have irregular paychecks, this concept is even more inviting.

So the author of this play, Montrealer Marianne Ackerman, herself an artist, took the plunge and gives us a farcical taste of how this good idea could turn into a frustrating experience and possible financial disaster. As they say in the play, “the problem is money and the solution is money.”

The audience giggled from start to finish, which is hard to imagine since the neighbours are all going through serious issues of break-ups, divorce and even death. The story captures many mash-ups of sensibilities, be they ethnic ones, gender-assigned roles, immigrant, political right vs. left, or artist vs business person.

Roy Surette, artistic director of the Centaur, directed this play himself with fabulous stage direction incorporating the inventive Lego-like structure of the stage (pop-up bench, coffee shop and car) designed by James Lavoie (who has worked for Cirque du Soleil).  The play takes place not only on both wings of the stage, the aisles and the front of the seating area, but also on a roof accessed by a typical Montreal outdoor spiral staircase, and through three doors representing the 3 floors of the triplex or and its interior rooms.

Seven actors are cast with a few playing double and very different roles. Favorites were the award- winning Cat Lemieux, with her perfect comical timing, including subtle body movements, who portrays a real estate agent and the perfect caricature of a Montreal police officer. Daniel Brochu shows a diverse range of talent, playing both a Westmount matron (never realized it!) and a noodgy Hasidic Jewish man.

At the end of the night, Ackerman herself said that watching her written play unfold live was like taking a black and white picture and making it full colour. This play is a fun entree into the rainbow of comic, tragic and everyday lives of our own Montrealers.

Location: 453 St-Francois Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: til May 17
Prices $27-$49.50
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

Golf equipment by AdamsGolf, addidas, ashorth, Callaway Golf, Calvin Klein, cobra, Footjoy, Greg Norman, Puma, Nike, and Taylormade will be sold off for up to 80% off. Woods start at $99.99, bags at $89.99, shoes $29.99, polos $19.99, bermudas $39.99, golf club sets $329.99, carts $129.99, gloves $9.99 and mens’ and womens’ full sets of clubs in bags $279.99

Also there will be some Spring and Winter coats by Nike, Elevate, Landmark and OuterBoundary from about $29.99 to $79.99.

Location: Holiday Inn Pointe Claire, 6700 Autoroute Transcanadienne
Dates and Times: Fri Apr 17: 10-9, Sat Apr 18 & Sun Apr 19: 10-5.

Libraries have lots of books. In order to make room for the new ones, the old ones have to leave. The Friends of the Pointe-Claire Library organize this sale to make funds available to buy more books.

Location: 100 Douglas Shand Ave., Pointe Claire
Tel: 514-630-1218
Dates: Fri Apr 17: 6-8 pm, Sat Apr 18: 9-3

Those of you who pine for fresh from nature products will be delighted to know that Distribution GeoEvoo, who import Greek extra virgin olive oil (directly from their Dad’s family estate in Messinia, Greece) will be at a fundraiser in Laval.  You can sample the great taste of their first cold pressed olive oil produced by the Geo Ligris Estate. The trees have been in the family for over 100 years.

Join Distribution Geo Evoo at A Blue Heart Fundraiser in Laval for Autism Speaks Canada. There will be more than  40 local vendors to visit and shop and the best part is supporting a local and worthy cause.

Location: Embassy Plaza, 1003 boul. Cure Labelle, Laval
Phone: 438-877-9391
Date: Apr 19
Time: 10-5

Q: I am from Alberta and I work with a group that teaches at risk children to read. At home, I go, to the several Goodwill stores on a weekly basis and go through shelves of their most recently donated books. They sell their children’s books for $1.00 or less. I rarely go home empty handed and have been able to purchase great quality children’s literature in great condition.

I have literally bought thousands this way. I have been coming to Montreal for years and when I go to these shops here, I only ever find a few ratty books on their shelves. I am looking for mainly English soft cover picture books but some French is okay too. Any suggestions?

A: There is a section in my Smart Shopping Montreal book on used book shops with at least a dozen English ones and more French ones too. One that I know has lots of kid’s books is on the West Island and is called, Book Market, 3343H boul des Sources, DDO. The books are not $1 but maybe if you are buying a lot they will work with you. Second-hand (mostly clothing) chains like the Salvation Army would be: Village Valeurs or Fripe-Prix Renaissance. They have some books.

Maman the Giant Spider

Most people would not think of taking children to an art museum. However, The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa offers Artissimo, one of the best children’s programs I have come across – and at an amazingly reasonable price of only $24 for 2 adults and 3 children. They try to teach kids about the art through different senses.

– First up was the creation of Art Buddies, toys (like dolls or animals) which can be found in paintings. These exact reproductions are given to the kids to hold, and then they are pointed to galleries where they can try to find them in a painting. Our Marguerite Charlotte doll had golden curls intertwined with green ribbon, and was holding a little blue bird in her hand.

– Second fun activity was the touch box which the child wears around his neck. They can put their hands in the sides (like a muff) and feel textures inside. Each box relates to a painting which has these textures in it; they have to guess what they are feeling and what in the painting represents it: a feather, lace, fur, picture frame, etc.

– Thirdly, was a real hit for ages 4-10. In Sounds Like Art, they are given headphones which play sounds. In each gallery, they have to find a painting which would relate to that sound: water, a crying baby, horses’ hooves, crackling fire.

The Arts and Crafts Area

For completing these games, the kids are rewarded with collectors’ cards of the paintings.

– Lastly there is an arts and crafts area set up in the most beautiful setting possible – the Great Hall with its soaring windows. While they are creating their works of art, you (and they) can oogle the magnificent panoramic view of Parliament Hill, the Gatineau Hills and the Ottawa River.

The children also enjoyed finding the surprise garden (from above and at ground level), the ceiling water window in the lobby, the “sound sculpture” in the chapel and, of course, Maman, the giant spider outside. And yes, there is also the fabulous collection of art. We spent 4 hours there easily.

Location: 380 promenade Sussex Drive, Ottawa ON K1N 9N4
Phone: 800-319-ARTS
Hours: Tues-Sun 10-5 (closed Mon Oct 1-Apr 30)
www.gallery.ca www.beaux-arts.ca

JRC opens to the public every year before Christmas, between October and December selling liquidated toys and books. Prices can be up to 70% off. They do a quick sale again in April or May.

And Yes, they have Frozen dolls.

Name brands from Step 2, Melissa & Doug, Barbie, Crayola, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Little Tikes, Mattel, Mega Bloks, Hegstrom, Spinmaster, Alex, and VTech have been found, as well as books from $1 and up.

Here are some of the items still available on the shelves:

1 – Monster High dolls, about 20 different dolls
2 – Huge Barbie section
3 – Puzzles for $2.99 (reg. $4.99)
4 – Ty plush stuffed toys
5 – Marvel figures (like wrestlers)
6 – Hot Wheels sets
7 – Batman figures and vehicles
8 – Transformers, few left
9 – Mega Bloks
10 – Fisher-Price electric vehicles which kids can drive ($129-$249)
11 – Remote control helicopters, trucks, cars
12 – John Deere and Cat trucks
13 – Baby toys by Fisher Price, Leap Frog and VTech
14 – Crayola coloring sets $2.99 (reg. $5.99)
15 – Mess Free coloring kit $2.99 (reg 6.99)
16 – Melissa & Doug collection
17 – Sticker books $1 & up
18 – Disney story books in French and English
19 – Aquadoodle
20 – Play Doh sets
21 – Board games: Scrabble, Monopoly ($15.99), Sorry ($12.99), Twister ($15.99), Battleship ($15.99), Yahtzee ($14.99), Guess Who
22 – Dinosaur train and table set $160 (reg. $199)
23 – Step 2 wagons
24 – Wooden table and chair set $69.99 (reg $99)
25 – Wooden train $59.99 (reg. $88)

For the future: Corporations, day cares or anyone holding Christmas events can buy in bulk and have them wrapped.

Location: 5589 Royalmount
corner: Devonshire
Tel: 514-342-6979
Dates: closes Dec 24, 3pm
Times: Mon & Tues 10-8, Wed 10-3
www.jrctoys.com
Metro: Station Namur, Station de la Savanne

Kidlink has an excellent reputation for having the uncanny ability of being able to choose just the right toy for a child and the right book for an adult. For the kids’ stuff they sell, they concentrate on award winning toys and games,and arts and crafts. They can help you choose products and toys with long term value in mind, and it all comes with free gift wrapping and excellent customer service.

Pipsquigz  www.fatbraintoys.com/search.cfm?q=pipsquigz&x=20&y=15  Ages: 6 mos+ – Three rubbery suction toys which make sounds. Easy to grab, hold, teeth on. $25

Laser Pegs  www.laserpegs.com  Ages 5-9 – Resembles Lego and compatible with it but these light up. You can build cars, trucks, animals, landmarks like pyramids. $16-$100

Tenzi  www.ilovetenzi.com  Ages: 7-97 – Each person (up to 4) gets 10 dice. Keep rolling til someone gets 10 of the same number. Other ways to play. $18

Goldie Blox  www.interplayuk.com/goldieblox  Ages girls 4-9 – Building system for girls. Engineering for kids. Some with little animals.  Sold out last year. $24-$70

Story Cubes wwww.storycubes.com  Ages: 8-adult – 9 dice with pictures on them. Make up a story according to the images you roll. $11

Gravity Maze  wwww.thinkfun.com/gravitymaze  Ages: 8-99 – A solitaire game with 60 challenges. Gets harder as you go on. Has blocks with holes which you build differently each time trying to get a marble to a red cube. $37

Anomia  www.anomiapress.com  Ages 10-adult – A card game needing a minimum of 3 players which involves guessing words in categories $15

Money Savvy  www.msgen.com  Ages: All – A piggy bank (or soccer ball or dog) which has 4 separate compartments to: save, spend, donate or invest. $24

Boogie Board  www.myboogieboard.com/na/  Ages: All  – An electronic writing board, comes with a stylus. Press to erase electronically. Sizes: mini, regular and deluxe. $25 $40 $50

Room Defender  www.smartlabtoys.com/room-defender.html  Ages: Boys 10+ – Programmable room security system for their door. Cards to enter, can leave messages. $47

Location: 5604 Monkland Ave.
corner: Oxford
Tel: 514-482-4188
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5

LE PANIER won the title of best gift store in Canada so this store worth a trip from anywhere. The huge shop is chock full of gourmet food items, kitchenware and gifts at prices mostly under $25. You will not walk out empty-handed when you can choose amongst the jams, hot sauces,  toys, jewelry, gadgets and much, much more

Look for the little tasting bowls and crackers to try out new products, buy humbugs (now in different flavors), or feast on their own 5-year-old cheddar and their homemade fudge. If you can’t decide, there are ready-made gift baskets or custom-made ones too.

Flip through the pages of their catalogue online http://thepanier.com/catalogue/ to see the gifts I liked. Then go to the store and buy many many more things.

Sticky Pad for Car – Keeps everything (even a phone) on your dash from falling off . $7.99

Credit Card Shield – Protects your cards from wireless remote readers as you walk about.  $5.99

Reeses Peanut Butter in a Jar – Tastes like the candy.  $8.99

Wine Bottle Umbrella – Looks like a wine bottle but an umbrella pulls out.  $24.99

Mighty Mug – This mug won’t fall over  – EVER – can be used near a keyboard without worries.  $19.99

Hug Doug – Adorable spoon rest saves it from falling in a pot.  $12.99

Chip Kit Chip Maker – In a microwave, make chips out of potatoes, beets, carrots, apples.  $24.99

Kitchen Timer Turntable – Looks like a retro record turntable.  $16.99

Selfie Stick – Holds your cellphone out in front of you to take a better video or photo $9.99

Perfume Atomizer – Fill with your favorite fragrance and keep in your purse.  $13.99

Alex and Ani – Jewelry bangle bar collection in gold and silver with stones, symbols

Mike’s Hot Honey – Spice up all kinds of food  $14.99

Edible Christmas Card for Dogs – Rawhide card comes with envelope to mail to a canine friend.  $6.99

Habs Wool Socks – For men or women.  $27.00

Location: 274-E Bord du Lac, Pointe Claire
corner: de Lourdes
Tel: 514-695-7038
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
www.thepanier.com