Tomorrow on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to me on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. We’ll be talking about Valentine’s Day shopping and more. Those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them. If you miss the show you can always write to me here at my website.
Limited Brands is bringing its brand, Victoria’s Secret to Canada next summer. Limited Brands is based in Montreal because we knew it as La Senza (they were bought out by them in 2006). The first shop is supposed to open in Edmonton (should we think Edmonton Mall anyone?) and there will be four flagship stores for Victoria’s Secret. I’m guessing one will be here.
At Distributeurs Ian, a landmark Chabanel building spot, you’ll find a mixture of family clothing and household items. For cold Montreal nights, they sell flannel and polar fleece therapeutic bedsheets at only $30 a set ($50 for queen). The coral fleece ones are like a fuzzy blanket.
The rest of the store is filled with an assortment of baby items (up to 24 mos.) at really reasonable prices: crib sheet sets, 2-piece outfits, pajamas. You’ll also find some table cloths, towels, bath mats and luggage. For the ladies’, some nightgowns, and then men’s pajamas, shirts, jackets and socks and undies for all.f
Location: 111 Chabanel West, suite 102
corner: Clark
Phone: 514-383-1589
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5
The following list came from the Montreal Viking Club which printed this list in 2008 of where to buy and/or rent cross-country ski equipment around Montreal.
New equipment:
– Norway Nordic (514-457-9131) in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
– André Jac Sport (450-622-2410) in Laval
– Atmosphere chain (514-365-1286)
– Boutique Courir (514-499-9600) located downtown and Longueuil
– La Cordée (514-524-1106) in downtown, Laval, St-Hubert
– Louis Garneau 2000 (450-677-1339) theme store in Longueuil
– Mountain Equipment Co-op (514-788-5878)
– Le Suroît Cycle et Ski (450-455-0328) in Vaudreuil
– Le Yeti(514-271-0773) is downtown
In the Laurentians:
– Boutique SRS (450-226-7821) in Morin-Heights
– Swisski (819-326-4077) in Ste-Agathe
New and used equipment:
– Play-it Again Sports chain (514-484-5150)
– Sports Aux Puces (450-688-9001) Laval, Rosemere
For ski boot repairs:
Cordonnerie Monkland at 5630 Monkland (corner Oxford) in NDG
or just ask in your neighborhood shoe repair shop
article from www.vikingskiclub.ca/en/newsletter/2008-12.pdf
If you’re up late-ish, I will be offering up some more tips on where to find last minute gifts live on CTV News tonight. I’ll be mentioning Le Panier, 300 Lakeshore Rd. in Pointe Claire (portable luggage weigher, yak trax, elephant poo paper, Big Shnoz tissue dispenser, magnetic bandaid for car boo-boos), and then Kidlink, 5604 Monkland Ave. for toys, games and books for everyone (see my other shlog about them).
For truly last minute, run over to your nearest pharmacy. You’d be surprised at what you might find there: charger stations, digital picture frames, wine openers, Habs stuff, juice extractors, Wii games, and my personal favorite at Pharmaprix: e-plates: license plates where you can dial in a message from a remote inside your car and it appears on your license plate.
Location: CTV News Date and Time: Dec 22, 11:30 pm
Kidlink is a fabulous store kids’ stuff as they concentrate on award winning toys and games, music and video, arts and crafts. There are gifts for newborns, journals and toys with long term value, and it all comes with free gift wrapping and excellent customer service. The owners know everything in the joint and know exactly how to help you select the right toy for the right kid.
(Photos on bottom)
1- Hex Bugs $14 www.hexbug.com by Innovations First. It’s mini 2X2″ robotix creatures which reacts to sound & light. It has sensory antennas and is sensitive to touch. It walks and crawls on its 6 legs. As soon as it touches something, it reverses. You can control it by whistling, clapping or aiming a flashlight Ages 5 & up
2- Kiss Naturals $20-$25 www.kissnaturals.com This is a local NDG mom and dad company and the product is made locally as well. It’s a line of kits with natural ingredients: make your own lip balm, bath fizzies, natural soap or solid perfume. $1 goes to St Justine Hospital or MontrealChildren’s Hospital Ages 6 & up
3- Gobblet Gobblers $24.99 www.blueorangegames.com For 2 players, this is a quick 4 min. game like tic tac toe. However, you use pieces of 3 different sizes which are. You can gobble up a bigger one that is on a space you need. It’s fast to learn and fast to play. Won tons of awards. Ages 5-10
4- Smart Ass Game $33 www.areyougame.com Family trivia game for 2-12 players. Each player guesses 1) who am I 2)what am I 3) where am I 4) Hard Ass by a series of clues. Anyone can jump in as you all solve it at the same time. If you blurt out the wrong answer, you are out. Ages 12 & up
5 -Zipfy $39.99 www.Zipfy.com A freestyle mini luge for snow that is Canadian engineered but made in the US. It comes in 6 colors. First luge for little kids. Safe, easy, feet first, there’s a lever to control directions with leaning. It’s light to carry and won lots of awards. Ages: 5-adult up to 250 lbs
6- Jishaku $24.99 www.playjishaku.com. It’s the Japanese word for magnet and was invented by an engineer. This is a strategy board game which uses brain power, not luck. It works on magnetic interaction.Each player places a magnetic stone on a bumpy board. It is important how it is placed as each is trying to get rid of their stones. The magnets are repelled and attracted by force fields so you may wind up with other player’s pieces if you do it wrong. Ages: 8 to adult. 2 players & up.
7- Hugg- a-planet world globe $31 www.huggaplanet.com Round pillow made out of stuffed cotton. On it is the political world map. Point is to care about mother earth.
Kidlink
Location:5604 Monkland at Oxford
Tel: 514-482-4188
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
The best monthly sales of linens, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, carpets, etc., this sale up cannot be beat. Some of the prices this time: comforters (all sizes) $15, 4-pc twin set jacquard $35, 7-pc queen set $60 or $75, sheets $10, pillows $7-$10, shower curtains $5, carpets $15, bath towels 3/25, mats $7/$10, dishcloths 3/$7, oven mitt set $5.
Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Nov 13: 11-6; Sat Nov 14: 8-1
www.liquideco.com
For the month of October, you can upgrade your gear and game by trading in your used golf equipment towards buying the latest ones.
Clubs – Get an additional 20% off above trade-in value (values by Global Golf Exchange) towards a new set
Shoes – $20 towards new footwear ([riced over $100) when you bring in your old ones
Bags – $25 towards a new bag worth over $100 when you bring in your old bag (not the wife!)
Gloves – $3 towards a new glove valued over $14.95 when you bring in an old one
Locations: 1231 Ste-Catherine o., 2nd floor (514-848-0078);
Laval, 3954 Autoroute 440 o. (450-680-2222);
DDO, 2315A boul. des Sources (514-693-0055); 1001 rue de Marche Centrale (514-382-4666);
St-Hubert, 1571 boul. des Promenades (450-926-0110);
Vaudeuil-Dorion, 46 Cite des jeunes (450-424-4861);
St-Leonard, 6705 boul. Metropolitain est (514-329-2069)
Hours: Regular plus Sun 11-5
www. golftown.com
Q: You are going to tell us today about places where we can listen to music for free – and no it’s not on your iPod or MP3 player.
We’re very lucky here in Montreal to have such a diverse selection of classical musical productions – organ, jazz, wind instruments, choirs, strings, harpsicord, electro-acoustic, all for free!, For small fees ($10-$15) you can enjoy opera and full orchestral performances too. They are all easy to get to by mass transit and there are hundreds throughout the Sept-June season.
Q: Let’s go though the different venues.
McGill Faculty of Music
Tel: 514-398-4547 or 514-398-5530
www.mcgill.ca/music for calendar
how: free by e-mail or $10 for monthly calendar by post
who: performers come from their bachelors, masters and doctorate programs. It could be just one person playing piano or up to an ensemble of fifteen.
when: started last week and goes til June
what: jazz combos, tuba ensembles, organ recital, etc.
where: Pollack Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall, Redpath Hall on McGill campus
University of Montreal
Faculty of Music
Tel: 514-343-6427
www.musique.umontreal.ca check here for calendar
what: classical, jazz, contemporary, piano, voice
when: season launching this week. On the evening of Sept 26th at 7:30pm, two of their professors will present “Russian Jewels” on alto and piano – Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, alto and Paul Stewart on piano
where: Salle Claude-Champagne Champagne (others at Salle Serge-Garant, Salle Jean-Papineau-Couture)
Q: Besides the Universities, are there other places which offer this?
La Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur
Tel: 514-872-5338
100 Sherbrooke est at boul. St-Laurent
how: put yourself on e-mail list at chapelle@ville.montreal.qc.ca or ask for snail mail, or look in the newspaper for what’s happening in town this week
when: first free one is on Sat, Sept 26 at 2pm and it’s contemporary music
who: Denys Bouliane.
extra: Some of the performers even open up the floor for questions
Jay Li Trade Net has low priced sales for women’s clothes and home items. There’s women’s clothing with prices starting at: 2 or 3 piece sets $20, sweaters $11.50, pants and skirts $10, bathrobes $30, blouses and camisoles $11.50 and then the sale goes into household items: curtains $11.25, bamboo blankets $25.99, double sheets $17. If you spend $200, you get 10% off those already low prices.
Location: 4002 Bois Franc, Ville St-Laurent
Phone: 514-745-7578
Dates: Sept 17, 18,19 and Sept 24,25,26
Times: Th & Fri 11-6:30, Sat 10-3:30