Allegiant Air taking a cue from brick and mortar retailers, is offering for the first time, doorbuster fares for both U.S. Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday as well as great deals on hotels, rental cars and attractions.

U.S. Thanksgiving Doorbusters – Beginning at 5 am on Thurs, Nov. 28, Allegiant will offer $30 one way fares (including taxes and fees!) on select routes. Only 60 seats are available on each flight at www.allegiant.com.

Cyber Monday Sale – Beginning at 5 am on Mon, Dec. 2,  Allegiant will offer fares as low as $59 one way on select routes. Deep Cyber Monday discounts can save travelers up to 30 percent.

Allegiant’s Cyber Monday deals will include dozens of vacation specials including free nights, free upgrades, and free meals at participating hotels in Hawaii, Florida, Las Vegas and Arizona. Allegiant customers can save with free double car class upgrades at Allegiant’s Alamo locations nationwide.

Allegiant flies out of cities just south of the Canadian border including: Niagara Falls, Bellingham, Plattsburgh, Minot and more to warm spots like Las Vegas, Orlando and Hawaii.

Allegiant Air is focused on linking leisure travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations  operating a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline. The company has been named one of America’s 100 Best Small Companies by Forbes Magazine for four consecutive years.

“Our customers love a great deal, so we’ve decided to give them something special,” said Rich Winiarski, Allegiant Travel Company Vice President of Marketing. “We are excited to offer travellers even more ways to save on flight, hotels and vacations with our exceptional U.S. Thanksgiving doorbuster sales and deep Cyber Monday discounts. This will be our biggest sale ever.”

www.allegiantair.com

It is JRC Toys 20th anniversary, so you can celebrate at their  warehouse which has deals to delight the child in you. Every year between October until the  Christmas eve, they allow retail customers into the warehouse to offer you tremendous savings. They have expanded their warehouse  to present their “bigger than ever” sale.

You can get ready for the holidays now with no need to rush out at the last minute for your toy buying.

If you need a baby shower gift, birthday present or just want to delight some children, this toy warehouse is the place to visit. You can save up to 70% off great name brands that all kids will love such as  Step 2, Mattel, Vtech, Fisher-Price, Disney Princess, Franklin, Hello Kitty, Spin Master, little tykes, Hasbro, Transformers, Cars, Barbie, Mega Blocks, Hot Wheels and Cars can be found there.

This is the time to stock up and save.  Corporations, day cares or anyone holding events can buy in bulk and have them wrapped.

This is a final sale, with no refunds or exchanges and cheques will not be accepted.

Location: 5589 Royalmount
corner: Devonshire
Metro: Station Namur, Station de la Savanne
Tel: 514-342-6979
Dates: Oct 2 – Dec 24
Times: Oct: Wed, Sat & Sun 10-5, Thurs & Fri 10-8
Nov: Mon, Wed, Sat & Sun 10-5, Thurs & Fri 10-8
Dec: Sun-Sat 10-8
Christmas Eve – Dec. 24 10-3
www.jrctoys.com

It is rare that a play takes on the persona of a documentary. Playing now at  the Centaur Theater, Seed, portrays one of those David vs. Goliath moments wherein a Saskatchewan farmer takes on the agrochemical giant, Monsanto. Monsanto accused farmer Percy Schmeiser of illegally growing its patented, genetically engineered canola seeds on his farm, while he claimed they were blown in with the wind. The concept explored, of genetically modified organisms, rings very true to this day. Perhaps, even more so.

Seeds was written by Annabel Soutar based on court trial transcripts and interviews with scientists, lawyers, farmers and activistss and she crafted them verbatim  into a snapshot of legal wranglings and rural community dynamics. It is cleverly staged with both the actors and props doing multiple duties, i.e. a chemical beaker becoming a coffee cup or a bucket turning into a steering wheel.  The screenwriter, who has a large part to play in the play, takes difficult scientific concepts of DNA and makes it simple chemistry for the public. She also makes it humorous.

The star of Seeds is Eric Peterson who is known for his acting in Corner Gas, Street Legal and Billy Bishop Goes to War. Most of the original cast are re-playing their roles quite wonderfully: Cary Lawrence,  Mariah Inger,  Alex Ivanovici, Bruce Dinsmore, Tanja Jacobs Liisa Repo-Martell (or Christine Beaulieu when she is not available).

This important subject has been turned into riveting theatre. You will leave wondering what you are eating.

Location: Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: until Nov 24th
www.centaurtheatre.com

Allegiant Air which is based in Plattsburgh, can save you up to 72% on you air flight. Allegiant flies to to warm winter destinations like Florida and Las Vegas.

Plattsburgh Airport is smaller and less congested than Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport. Once you’ve driven through the border, you do not have to go through customs in Plattsburgh Airport, only through security. Since there are only 1 or possibly 2 flights leaving around the same time, the lineups are much smaller. So the whole experience is easy and quicker.

If you sign up for their e-mails, you will get only  Plattsburgh specific sales and only on Tuesdays.

www.allegiantair.com

Pierre Belvedere is making it easy for you to save money by holding their sale on 4 different weekends. It starts this Saturday and then repeats for 3 more weeks starting on Thursdays.

Choose amongst items such as  Pierre Belvedere stationery, Semikolon stationery and office organizers, greeting cards and gift wrap, educational games and toys, decorative candles, napkins, placemats, tableware.

Location: 2555 Dollard Ave, bdlg #1, Ville Lasalle
corner: rue de Hull
Phone: 514- 286-2880
Dates: Nov 9& 10, Nov 14-17, Nov 21-24, Nov 28-Dec 1
Times: Thurs & Fri 12-9, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
Metro: station Agrignon
Parking available
www.pierrebelvedere.com

Q: When in November is the Guerlain sale?

I bought my mother’s favourite can’t-find-in-dept-stores Eau de Cedrat  (the only time I bought it was at Pharmaprix a decade ago) last year at their Greene Institut and I found out too late about their Lachine sale in your site after the deal was sealed. I don’t even know how to get there by public transport. Guerlain sends me pamphlets from Paris but no info for Montreal.

A: If you had taken a peek at my Smart Shopping Montreal book, there is a section called Seasonal Warehouse Sales. There are 15 pages of them. On page 33 is all the information for Guerlain in Montreal. Their phone # 514-363-0432  and www.guerlain.comand  They have sales in the Fall and Spring.

Marnau Adaptive Products will be an exhibitor at the 3rd Annual Montreal Special Needs Fair. Marnau will be showcasing various adaptive products and services which can make your daily tasks just a little easier.

For people with disabilities, parents, family members and caregivers, this is a chance to meet face-to-face with transition services, support groups, therapy providers,  financial resources, local needs schools and programs and to try adaptive devices.

Location:  at Ruby Foods Hotel, 7655 Boul. Decarie
Date: Oct 24
Time: 10-8
www.marnau.ca

We’re very lucky here in Montreal to have such a diverse selection (over 1,000 performances) of classical musical productions – organ, jazz, wind instruments, choirs, strings and electro-acoustic, all for free!  For small fees ($10-$15) you can enjoy opera and full orchestral performances. Two below are organized through or with the Faculties of Music of McGill or the University of Montreal, but others are around as well.

McGill Faculty of Music Schulich music school  (free calendar by e-mail)
Tel: 514-398-4547 or 514-398-5530
www.mcgill.ca/music   for calendar

University of Montreal
Faculty of Music
Tel: 514-343-6427
www.musique.umontreal.ca   for calendar

La Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur
Tel: 514-872-5338
100 Sherbrooke E.
(put yourself on e-mail list at chapelle@ville.montreal.qc.ca or look in the newspaper for what’s happening)

We, the lucky recipients  of socialized medicine, get complacent when we travel elsewhere as we as so used to showing our medicare cards and magically getting our medical needs taken care of – no bills, no paperwork, no fuss.  But a medical emergency can happen to anyone, anywhere, of any age.

You don’t have to have an illness or be older to need insurance – you too can fall on a ski hill, wind up with fever in a faraway place or cut your foot on something in the sand – and need emergency medical care. This could costs thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Enter the travel medical insurance consultant, the perfect person to access your medical needs and find you the right policy – at no cost to you. Just like a stockbroker who has expertise in picking your investments, these people know how to read the fine print in medical plans and choose the one best for you  “as it applies to the individual” says Alice Kern, of ABR Financial Services.

Your plan depends how long you will be away, on what illnesses you may have, how long your conditions have been stable, or the last time you saw a doctor for a problem. Even with pre-existing conditions, they  can still find you a policy so you can travel.

A travel medical insurance consultant knows all the loopholes and makes sure you get the right coverage. She can hold your hand when you get into a medical mishap and can even negotiate with an insurer if  need be.

Location: 805-5775 Cavendish Blvd Cote Saint-Luc, Qc H4W 3L9
Tel: 514-332-3776 or 1-866-270-4996
www.abrfinancialservices.ca
alice.kern@abrfinancialservices.ca

Open since 1998, SPA 2000 is a full-service esthetic and day spa located on the West Island. After the harsh effects of summer’s rays, pamper yourself and get a soothing, re-freshing, rejuvenating facial . For the month of October they are offering 15% off deals on all their facials.

SPA 2000 offers many services for clients of all ages such as:

– Anti-aging facials – using the latest advances in technology such as A.H.A.’s, Collagen, Peptides and proteins;
– Microdermabrasion – for a deep exfoliation or try a series of treatments to treat acne scars, lines and wrinkles and brown spots;
– Deep-cleansing facials – Customizes facials for men, women and teens;
– Detoxifying, lifting and firming, anti-aging/ anti-oxident and Botinol treatments are all available.

Location: 3563 St. Charles Blvd, Kirkland QC H9H 3C4
corner: Boul. Brunswick
Tel: 514-695-5040
www.spa2000.ca