The 24th annual Tibetan Cultural Fair features a handicrafts bazaar, live music and dance performances, as well as traditional cuisine.

– The handicrafts bazaar showcases traditional arts and crafts such as clothing, jewelry, carpets, dharma-ware, ritual objects, CDs, books and more great gift ideas.
– Live music and dance will be performed by the Tibetan Cultural Association of Québec, offering a unique opportunity to witness Tibetan musical instruments, songs and dances. – Dhondup the Yak – always a favourite for young children – will make a special appearance
– The Tibetan kitchen features the always popular “momos” – traditional dumplings with hot sauce.

For the past 23 years, during the two-day fair, Tibetans and Canadians have come together to celebrate the vibrant Tibetan culture. The Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) is an independent non-governmental organization promoting human rights and freedom for the Tibetan people. The CTC is funded entirely by individual donations and special events such as this annual fair.

Location: Santa Cruz Church Hall, 60 Rachel West
corner: St-Urbain
Dates and Times: Sat Nov 24: 10-6, Sun Nov 25: 11-5
Admission: $5, Seniors and students: $3, Under 12: free
For more info follow Montreal’s Tibetan Bazaar Facebook page
www.tibet.ca

Paragraphe Bookstore runs a series of yummy lectures where they invite Montrealers to munch on breakfast and meet the authors of new books. On Sunday I will be one of those authors (along with Aislin, Peter Trent and Dr. Richard Beliveau). So be prepared for humour, politics, death and shopping!

You get a bite to eat and then a taste of our books and a chance to meet us and buy autographed copies of the books.

Location: Le Centre Sheraton, 1201 Rene-Levesque West
Date: November 18th
Time: 10am
Price: $32 and can be bought at: Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Ave
Tel: 514-845-5811
www.paragraphbooks.com
–  or  –
The Westmount Public Library,  4574 Sherbrooke St. West

On Thursday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. We’ll be talking about my newest edition of Smart Shopping Montreal.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11 am -11:30 am
Date: Thurs Nov14
www.cjad.com

This no-fee warehouse food store is piled 15-20 feet high with everything you’d find in a supermarket and then some. It stocks 4 times more selection than that famous warehouse club and is consistent with what you can find.

They have added a whole kosher poultry section with: chicken – whole, boneless breast, bone-in breast, wings, minced dark meat, legs with back, chicken bones for soup or cut-up into 1/4’s . Turkey is there – half breast with back, drumsticks, wings and Cornish hens.

All November, they will be having a Cheese Fest with promotions, tastings and cheese platter ideas for entertaining.

There’s 500 kinds of cheese, ethnic foods (Latino, Indian, Asian, Mideastern) and they import their fresh produce themselves – no middleman.

Since they are oriented for sales to restaurants, hotels and institutions, you can select meat in the AA or sometimes AAA grades, Halal meat, leg of pig, tongue, or oxtails. They make homemade sausages and sell fish and seafood.

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, 80 types of olive oils (even organic), 3.5L bags of chocolate chips, pop-up aluminum foil sheets, 6 x 1 Kg. bags of espresso coffee or little paper lunch bags.

Location: 5650 Boul. Metropolitan Blvd. East, St-Leonard H1S 1A7
corner: boul Lacordaire
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:45-4:30, Thurs & Fri 6:45-9 pm, Sat 6:45-4:30, Sun 9-4
www.mayrand.ca
sales@mayrand.qc.ca ou ventes@mayrand.qc.ca

Nordstrom, the high-end US retailer will make Canada its first foray outside the U.S.

We will have to wait 2 years though. Here is the timing of their arrivals:

– 2014 Chinook Center in Calgary
– 2015 Pacific Center Vancouver will be the first of the locations
– 2015 Rideau Center in Ottawa
– 2016 Sherway Gardens in Toronto,

Seventeen years after coming to Canada. Michaels, North America’s largest art and crafts supply retailer with more than 1,070 stores in 49 states and Canada has finally opened 7 stores in Quebec: Gatineau, LaSalle, Lachenaie, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Jérôme, Vaudreuil-Dorion, and Laval.

From jewelry making, scrapbooking, and cake decorating supplies to custom framing services, floral, wall decor, seasonal decorations, and more, you will find it all here over 35,000 items for the hobbyist or do-it-yourself home decorator.

Michaels Quebec stores have partnered with Air Miles.

Instead of stocking rooms of furniture, Les Meubles Furniture Wholesalers stocks US furniture catalogues. They will be closing down their doors soon, so everything left in their showroom must move out.

After 60 successful years, they have decided to sell off their showroom samples at greatly reduced prices and just stick to those catalogues.

Right now there are many bargains to be had in the pieces of furniture that are still around – couches, chairs, tables, night tables, armoires and on and on.

If you don’t snag one of these deals, you decide on furniture brands that you like, you go through the books of those companies or those with a similar look.

You choose the size, model and color to suit your own decor and pay 30% less.

The high quality brands here are not found in many stores in this city: Hooker, Stanley, Broyhill, American Drew, Bernhardt, Pulaski, Hammary, Lee, Lexington, Lane and Aico and more.

Location: 45 Montpellier St, Ville St. Laurent QC H4N 2G3
corner: Trans-Canada Highway
Tel: 514-274-8255
Hours     Mon-Fri 9:30-5, Sat 9:30-4
www.furniturewholesalers.ca
bargains@furniturewholesalers.ca

Epices Anatol Spices has been a fixture in Little Italy for years. I asked Jimmy how long you can keep spices fresh in your cupboard. He talked about keeping them well sealed in a cool dark cupboard. For spices that you buy in grains, you can expect them to stay fresh about 2 years. For powders, only keep them 1 1/2 years and for leafy ones, like herbs, only 8-12 months.

This wholesaler also sells retail, so the prices you pay are quite good. There is a huge inventory with 60 varieties of tea (even rooibos) and 150 herbs (some for tea infusions). Add to that 600 spices (cinnamon sticks, star anise), 90 kinds of nuts (macadamia, hazelnuts), whole wheat, soya and spinach pasta, buttermilk powder, dried mushrooms (porcini, morels, bolete cepes), sugar-free candy, wasabi peas, goji berries, peppers (chili, Szechuan, espelette) and henna for your hair, too. For baking, expect to find many flavour essences, bulk Callebaut chocolate, candied and dried fruits (papaya, pineapple, blueberries, peaches, cherries, cranberries) and silver pieces for cake decorating. They bring in their olive oil from a friend in Crete. You can get even better prices by buying in larger quantities.

Location: 6822 boul. St-Laurent
corner: Dante
Tel: 514-276-0107
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5

Dr. Martens well structured shoes have come and gone over the years in terms of fashionability.  The family owned British brand have opened their own shops. The industrial design harks back to their origins as a working class shoe stitched in yellow but today they are seen on the feet of trendies.

Model Agyness Deyn’s clothing and footwear are sold here too and you can watch her video.

Location: 1383 Ste. Catherine St. W.
Tel: 514-985-2727
www.drmartens.com

Limited Brands has brought its brand, Victoria’s Secret to Canada.  Limited Brands might be familiar to  Montrealers  because they bought out La Senza. Remember those great sales on the TCan when the line went on for blocks?

The first store has opened in Carrefour Laval.  It’s 11,000 square ft of black and pink if full of every color bra yes, but also undies, loungewear, pajamas, and even slips.

Location: Carrefour Laval
www.victoriassecret.com