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, 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

The famous children’s shops of Carter’s and Osh Kosh b’Gosh have finally shown up in Montreal. One opened in Brossard in September and now there’s one opening in Montreal near the old Blue Bonnets race track.

Their clothing is really well made and can be passed down from child to child and still look good. Both start with newborn (even preemie) sizes. Carter’s  goes up to size 7 for boys and girls but Osh Kosh goes all the way up to size 12.

Brossard location: Quartier Dix30
Montreal location: 5435 rue des Jockeys
corner: Decarie Blvd.
Date: Sat Oct 12

If you’re really undecided about what to prepare for Thanksgiving, how about something a little bit different?

I was surprised to see camel meat prepared for Chinese fondue being promoted in this week’s IGA flyer. If you look on page B7, you can find a “new” featured product. La Maison du Gibier is selling 200 gr. of camel meat for $7.99.

http://www.iga.net/en/circulaire/?date=2013-10-10&page=7

A cluttered locker is a cluttered mind – organizing your children’s lockers could improve their grades. An inexpensive long-lasting solution, which will endure until your child finishes all of his schooling, is the LockerShelf™ Canada, which is easy to assemble, robust and durable.

A LockerShelf is a double shelf system designed to fit lockers like “built in” shelving.  By utilizing the external frame of the locker for strength, all the weight is transferred vertically yielding a strong and solid fit.

– Great for all lockers: gyms, hospitals, warehouses, police stations, fire departments

– Makes a terrific fund-raising product for any school or organization

– Merchandise can be picked up in Kirkland QC to save the shipping charges

http://lockershelfsolutions.com

On Friday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. We will be talking about back-to-school shopping: supplies, uniforms, backpacks, etc.

This is the moment that you can call in and ask me your shopping questions.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11:30 am
Date: Fri Aug 30th
www.cjad.com

It’s hard to even mention this subject  in the middle of the summer, but if any of you are starting to buy back-t0-school supplies, I will be on CTV News on the 6 o’clock news on Saturday talking about saving money on school purchases.

We talked about teacher lists, color code uniforms and even backpacks. I don’t know what made it in to the segment.

www.ctvnews.ca
Date: Aug 16
Time: 6pm

Ste-Catherine St has been Montreal’s shopping street forever. It’s time to re-learn shopping on the street and give these local merchants our community support.

This weekend the Ste-Catherine St.  sidewalk sale will be happening Saturday and Sunday. The street sale begins at St. Marc and goes all the way to Bleury.

Dates: July 13 & 14
Time: Sat 9-7, Sun 9-6

If you or your kids have a song in your heart and would like to learn to play an instrument, why not take a look at the West Island Music Academy? It ‘s so much more relaxing in the summer. They are open for 10 weeks in the summer one Wed,  Thurs, and Sat.

Breaking news about this popular school. The are opening a second location in Cote St. Luc starting in September. Right now they are doing pre-registration for the Fall for both their original school and their new school.

Joel Ovadia. the Musical Director has spent the past 11 years teaching guitar, piano, bass and drums to students of all ages. He graduated from Vanier College and Concordia University with degrees in Music. Joel also worked for several summers at McGill University’s Garage Band Camp, taking the groups on tour throughout Quebec and has appeared on several independent releases as a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, drummer, producer and engineer.

Barbara Ovadia has devoted her career to the field of Music Education over the past 36 years. She has worked as a Music Specialist at several local elementary schools. Besides that she founded and directed Broadway Theater, a local children’s theater group for 10 years.

So between the two of them, they have covered the gamut from rock band to show tunes and can teach you the kind of music that you might want to learn.

West Island Location: 61 Place Frontenac, Pointe-Claire
Tel: 514-505-6606
www.westislandmusicacademy.com

Everyone can use a good belly laugh. Right now until May 26th, The Number 14 playing at the Centaur Theatre is a rollicking bus ride that everyone, including your 10-17 year-olds will enjoy. People are always searching for ideas on how to spend quality time with their children, and what better way than to introduce them to live theatre. This one will tickle everyone’s funny bone.

Wearing masks evoking the Commedia dell’Arte in the 16th Century Italy, six actors turn themselves into 60 characters found on a city bus. Who hasn’t enjoyed people watching on a bus? This parade of humanity – trying not to fall asleep, getting dressed for work,  magazine readers, chatting girls, elderly, germophobes, teens singing,  graffiti artists, butt cracks, and kids on a field trip, are encountered daily on a commute.

The ride includes pratfalls, acrobatics, sight gags, mime, dozens of costume changes (some right before your very eyes), and song and dance routines; Even the inevitable abrupt stops and starts of a bus, gets turned into silliness. You will never be able to eat a cheese doodle again without smirking.

The Number 14 is a Canadian success story. Written collectively in Vancouver and originally directed by Centaur’s artistic director Roy Surette, it has toured the world, including two runs on Broadway. After 20 years, Montreal will be  its final stop.

This is true family fare that everyone, of all ages, can relate to. What are you waiting for – go book some seats before the bus leaves!

Location: Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: until May 26
www.centaurtheatre.com