West End Issue 8

Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 8 , A p r i l 1 5 , 2 0 1 1

TAKE ONE - IT’S FREE!The We s t E n d Community paper

Local Seeker

Vani’s competitive edge

birthed creative hangout

Studio BBG

West Ender Nadia Vani’s artistic talents first came to myattention when I visited a friend’s home several years ago

and she was hosting one of Vani’s jewelry parties. Youknow the ones where a hostess sells off jewelrycreated by some popular designer living in New

York, or impersonal gold baubles… Tupperware…lingerie…. pretty much anything goes these days.

The only difference that particular evening wasthat Vani was the designer and her stuff was

gorgeous. She sold lots of it and the women inattendance were raving about her creations all

night long. It was a veritable Bauble Babble Fest.

Vani’s story is quite special, actually, starting withthe fact she isn’t a crafty person, genetically-

speaking. “Well, my sister is the artist in the family,a painter, but I never had much interest in creativity

growing up,” she admitted during an interview inMontreal West’s Studio BBG, which has become a

rather spectacular success in just under two years. Themoniker stands for Beautiful Beads and Gifts.

The youthful mother and wife started work life inmarketing and personal training, while taking night

courses in management at McGill. Then shechallenged herself once again by taking

continuing education courses in computertech support at John Abbot College. Her

life then took a 180-degree turn. “Itwas January 2008 and I wasworking at a mom and pop

business when I brokesome happy news to mybosses. I was pregnant.”

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Unique Election 2011

feature on p.8

THE LOCAL SEEKER (pg. 2) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-688-7888 www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

When politics rears itsmisshapen head and wesimply can’t ignore itWhen I started this paper in September,2010, 17 issues ago, I planned to keep itapolitical in every way. There are enoughcommunity papers in our neighborhoodsreporting on council meetings and

complaining about the miseries handed to them by their localpoliticians. For the most part, I have maintained that promise to self.I want you to leave these pages feeling good, not all riled up andready to shoot someone… symbolically-speaking, that is. Fosteringreader rage is not the goal of The Local Seeker, which I hope willalways remain your feel-good publication MOST of the time.

Last issue marked the debut here of Last Call With Sol, featuring well-known commentator Sol Boxenbaum spouting off on a variety ofsubjects. I will not prevent Sol from discussing whatever he wishes,political or not, because I respect him tremendously and I know hisfans enjoy his honesty and candid comments.

In this issue, however, I have deviated from my chosen path slightlyand tried to give you a unique political perspective regarding ourfederal election candidates. Like it or not – and, believe me, do notcount me in among the few souls who is actually HAPPY we are inthe midst of an election campaign (a few comprised mainly ofcandidates who do not hail from the Progressive Conservatives,their handlers, supporters, wives and mothers) – we need politiciansin Ottawa representing us. Can’t escape it, no matter our beliefs. So,I think you will agree that our take on the campaign is quite aunique one. Kudos to my Local Seeker mates in Cornwall for comingup with this concept during a municipal campaign in their town lastyear. I wish I had thought of it myself, but I did not.

In the next issue, I will pull the curtain down on the campaign as faras The Local Seeker is concerned by giving you my take on the bestparty as I see it. I’m not a genius politically and don’t know muchmore than you do, but I have handled communications for twocandidates during one federal and one provincial campaign… so Iam savvy enough to comment. I am sure I will not change anyone’smind, but I still feel a need to give you my point of view for what it’sworth.

Welcome to our new advertisers

Meanwhile, back to Seeker business, we welcome two new longer-term advertisers to our pages. Raffi & Son, which appeared on ourcover two issues ago, will be illustrating why they are one of thebetter places in the West End to buy cars or repair them bothmechanically and body-wise if you need expert assistance. Andthen there is the Mariposa Café, one of THE more exciting food andentertainment venues in the area as far as I am concerned. The foodhere is only inspired and themed monthly, but they brew excellentjava, sell incredible baked goods and feature the finest in localamateur-driven music available. It won’t cost you more than adelectable meal and tip-in-the-hat to let them entertain you, either.Congrats to entrepreneur and musician Viktor Labelle for openingthis establishment almost a year ago. Ya did good!

A good beading is sometimes well-intentioned

Finally, on to our cover story: When NDG’s Nadia Vani started herbeading business a few short years ago, I was already sufficientlyimpressed. I had attended a home jewelery sale 2-3 years ago at afriend’s place and found Nadia’s work to be quite magnificent. Shethen decided to open Montreal West’s BBG, a shop open to thepublic where you can purchase all manner of beading supplies ANDwhere she gives workshops to people of all ages and sexes. Wewelcome Nadia to the cover of The Local Seeker and encourage thepatronage of our readers.

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The Local Seeker, West End Montreal EditionVolume 2, Number 8, April 1 2011Founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud 2010Published by Local Seeker Media Group, Cornwall, OntarioContents copyright 2011, The Local Seeker

West End Montreal Edition Managing Editor - Bram [email protected] • 514-975-7745

The Local Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints orinaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of ourcolumnists are not to be presumed as the statements and opinions of TheLocal Seeker.

Vani’s competitive edge birthed creativehangout Studio BBG (Continued from cover)

The gracious employers did what any kind, decent people would do: Theyfired Nadia. “Rather than get down on myself, though, I accepted anotherchallenge. I had seen the custom jewelry done by some women and I wasn’tat all impressed with the quality, knowing I could do better. I marched downto the Bead Emporium in Westmount and started spending hundreds ofdollars there every few days. And I started organizing jewelry parties,fundraisers and other events. It was my way of staying focused and business-minded.”

Nadia was indeed busy and, when a suitably-impressed client asked to carryher jewelry, it appeared to be a sign that she had achieved success. One day,parked in her hometown of Montreal West, she noticed a building across thestreet “and I fell in love with the natural lighting at that spot. I checked it outand it was the ideal place to give various classes, as well as to start a retailbusiness.” Studio BBG was born.

Today, Nadia boasts a mailing list over 950 strong, a popular Facebook pageand all sorts of cool courses and events that have made her studio one of thetown’s more happening venues. “My valued assistants and I organizeworkshops for people of all ages and daycare classes, where the children learnall sorts of artistic endeavours, in addition to beading, like painting andscrapbooking. One Friday evening per month, a group of fun-loving ladiesmeets there for Beading Martini Nights, where they learn craft-work andindulge in pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris and margueritas, everythingexcept martinis, actually. Still, no one seems to be complaining.

Another themed evening consisted of women being given manicures,massages, reflexology and astrological readings, with extremely satisfiedclients vowing to return for more. “I like to support women in business, usuallylocals,” Nadia stated. “They’ve been very supportive of me, so why not?”

She also rents out studio space: So far, Tuesday mornings are reserved forpainting classes given by a local female artist. But before you see BBG assimply an overindulgent girl’s club, relax, boys, you’re invited to have fun, too.“Men are certainly invited to participate and not necessarily as part of acouple,” Nadia said invitingly. “We actually celebrated our first boy’s birthdayparty here three weeks ago, with six boys aged 5 years of age, and they had ablast. Pictures were taken and they created a photo frame, learning about thevisual arts through their creation.”

Not long ago, another birthday party featured three generations of the samefamily at one table. It’s not unusual to find the 18-month to 70-yeardemographic frequenting the place. As if unleashing your artistic muse isn’tenough, you can also shop here till you drop. Beads of every stunning varietyare for sale, but you can also buy Ganz, Mistura, LimLim and IsabelleChouinard beauty products and accessories, Swarovski crystal jewelry andPandora-styled bracelets and charms.

Suffice to say that the mom-and-pop grinch couple really did THISentrepreneur a huge favour!

Studio BBG is located at 30 Milner, Suite 201 (corner Westminster, with a no-charge municipal parking lot across the street, around the corner from Patisseriede la Gare) and you can reach Nadia at 514-564-3481 or by email [email protected]. Her website is at www.studiobbg.com.

All free classifieds ads are to be called in or texted at 514-688-7888, put onour facebook group wall (The local seeker - West End Montreal Edition) oremailed at [email protected].

All ads must be 25 words or less. If they are longer, the local seeker can editthem as seen fit.

Free ads must be for non-commercial, used and second hand items only.Garage sales are free.

Rules and Guidelines for FREE ads

Consumer Protection: An OxymoronWhat is the point in running full-page ads in newspapers thatscream “no money down, no interest, nopayments until 2013” and then puttingrestrictions at the bottom of the page in lettersso small that NASA telescopes are required inorder to read them? Now, car dealerships haveadded a new dimension to this situation byputting the fine print on the side of the page, sothat not only do you require super-humaneyesight but also the dexterity of a Cirque duSoleil performer to read “price does not includedelivery, freight, preparation, taxes; may not beactual picture of model offered.” The point, my friends, is to deceiveus. As my friend Gino from Ville Emard says, “The big print giveth,while the fine print taketh away.”

Why doesn’t the Office of Consumer Protection put an end to thispractice? I believe there ought to be legislation prohibiting the useof fine print in advertising. Until then, I recommend consumersboycott any merchants who run misleading advertising.

In the same vein, with the cost of ingredients constantly on the rise,manufacturers of food products have found themselves forced tocontinuously raise retail prices. An alternative to that is to reduce thesize. That’s a trick that was used by the chocolate bar manufacturersmany years ago after bars went from 10 cents to more than a dollar.They began to shrink the size of the candy until packaging becameimpossible. Today, because we have given up standard weights aswe knew them (20 ounces, 28 ounces etc.), comparing prices of shelfitems has become difficult.

This is another example of how the switch to metric weights allowsus to get shafted by the retailers. Very often the size that is “on sale”costs more than the larger sizes available. And speaking ofsupermarket tactics, how come when they come up with a “newimproved” version of a product, they continue to offer the “old andnot as good” version at the same price instead of removing it fromthe shelf?

It’s closing time!

(ED. NOTE – Sounds like it SHOULD be closing time for stores thatindulge in these misleading practises.)

To reach Sol, email him at [email protected] or write to him at 80Hillside Avenue, Suite 304, Westmount, Quebec H3Z 1V9.

ABRAELECTRONICS INC

514-731-0117www.abra-electronics.com

Store Hours Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30

Everything in Electronics, components and much moreWe are a leading North America-wide reseller, but our

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5580 Cote de Liesse - Montreal - H4P 1A9

Corner Devonshire

• USB and HDMI cablestarting at $5.99

• Unique gifts-RemoteControl Helicopter only

$44.99• Test instruments-Multimeters-Chemicals-

Chemistry-Biology• Huge selection of Chemistry,Physics, Biology and Hobby Kits

(See a demo of our fabulous helicopter)

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Spring has almost sprung:

Do you need small renovation,painting and cleaning services?

Selling your home and require a thorough clean-up?

Renovations of any kind?

Spring cleaning?

Yard work?

Light fixtures changed or installed?

Pick ups or deliveries with our small van?

The handy man can!

Call Ralph, at 514-926-6026

Or email me [email protected]

MOVING SALE Complete set of apartment furniture, like new. Must sell.

Call 514-484-5339 day or night and leave a message.

WORK WANTED Looking for various household jobs, including garden

work. For more information, please call Alain at 514-489-9882 or

514-578-8084.

WANTED Seeking students aged 18 and up wishing to earn extra summer

cash working in the great outdoors: Rate $10/hr. Also looking for students

experienced in electrical work who can install air conditioners and

electrical heaters, also at $10/hr. Students with knowledge of basic

carpentry also sought. Call Mr. Patel at 514-862-0096.

Seek and you shall find... in our Classifieds


Expressions of life experience andperceptions through art

This “Modern Venus,” which isinspired by Botticelli’s Venus,represents how beauty isinterpreted in our times. Iimagine that our equivalentwould be a fashion model. Inorder for a woman in oursociety to be accepted as“perfect,” she would have to betall, thin and sexy. These arerepresented as crosses womenhave to bear. One girl had someof the right criteria, but wasn’ttall enough so she was hung byher cross. The other tried tomake herself so thin, she wasburied by hers. The sexyclothing represents howwomen are victims of fashion,whereas the Botticelli Venus was beautiful exactly as she wascreated.

Art has always been a part of my life. My Grandmother was apainter, my father was a musician and model ship builder, mymother dabbled in dancing and crafts. Our home was always fullof artists and, as a child, my creativity was encouraged. I neverfully appreciated my talent because everyone in my family wastalented in some way and it all came so easily to me, especiallydrawing and dancing.

I dabbled with fashion illustration and pencil drawing as a young

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e adult, but it was only when I was introduced to oil painting that my lovefor art really took off. I studied art history in the UK and took oil painting

lessons in Kiev. I also had theopportunity to travel and visit artmuseums in England, France,Belgium, Kiev, Moscow, Georgia,Spain and Africa. These experiencesopened my eyes and mind to manydifferent forms of art and expressionand continues to affect my creativity.

Through art I have discovered that Ican express things that I would havedifficulty expressing in other ways. Indance, I can express my inner self andhow music makes me feel. Inpainting, I can express ideas aboutmy life and how I see things. I alwayshave specific ideas about what I wishto convey in my paintings and I amhappy to explain the thinking thatinspired it, but I am also very curiousabout what my paintings inspire in

others, even if their interpretation is completely different from mine.

Delilah Pringle is a West End artist. Her work can be viewed on the walls ofKokkino’s, at 5673 Sherbrooke St. W. in NDG

Fun With Words

A bus filled with Ottawapoliticians was driving throughthe Lanark County countrysideone day, on the campaign trailin 2011.

The bus driver, caught up in thebeautiful scenery, loses controland crashes into the ditch.

A farmer living nearby hears thehorrible crash and rushes out todiscover the wreckage.

Finding the Ottawa politicians,he buries them.

That day, the Mounties come tothe farm to question the man.

"So you buried all thosepoliticians?" asked an Officer."Were they all dead?"

The Lanark farmer answered,"Some said they weren't, butyou know how politicians lie."

Smart old farmer....

A Little bit of PoliticalHumour...

GET SEEN, NOT LOST

in The Local Seeker

Call today at 514-975-7745


Spring reigns supreme because of sports, led by Lord

Stanley’s grail

The sun is shining. Most of the snow has melted. The birds are chirping. This is my favourite time of theyear. As a sports fan does it get any better? Let’s see: March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament,kicked things off last month. The NHL playoffs are getting under way and the Masters just wrapped up.These sporting events announce the arrival of spring. Unfortunately baseball’s debut used toovershadow almost all of these events for me, but since the departure of our beloved Expos, it barelyregisters with me anymore and I suspect this is the case with you as well.

I have spent the last few days reflecting on how lucky I am as a sports broadcaster and writer. I have had the opportunity to attend allof these events - the Masters is the only one I have yet to see up close, but I have already booked my ticket for Augusta in 2012.

I just returned from Houston where I saw the Final 4. It’san event that I live for. This year’s edition was the 8th Final4 I have attended - and while the final game betweenButler and the champion Uconn Huskies left a lot to bedesired, I have no complaints. On the off-day, we boughttickets for the Houston Open golf tournament and wereable to get up and close with the likes of Phil Mickelson,Aaron Baddeley and Canadian David Hearn, who finishedin the top 10.

I even felt a slight pull towards baseball while down inTexas. I went on a tour of Minute Maid ballpark with my11-year old nephew. Unfortunately he’s a Mets fan. I guess Ican’t fault him… he lives in New York and at least hedoesn’t like the Evil Empire (NY Yankees). If that’s notcelebrating spring fever, then I don’t know what is.

But who am I kidding? All of those sporting events stilldon’t measure up to the excitement and unpredictability of the NHL playoffs.Who would have thought the struggling Montreal Canadiens would have goneon their remarkable playoff run a year ago? And this year’s playoffs are shaping

up to be just as unpredictable. Theredoesn’t appear to be a clear-cutfavourite in either conference. Montrealstruggles to put the puck in the net, butthey have arguably the best goalie inthe league this season with CareyPrice and several playoff testedveterans who know what it takes towin in the Second Season. TheWashington Capitals remadethemselves after last season’s playoffdebacle against the Habs, butthey remain suspect in goal,as do the Philadelphia Flyers.In the West, Detroit isalways tough but they don’thave a playoffgoalie, nor dothe defendingchampionBlackhawks.The Bruinslook solid, butcan TimThomasshake his

post-season blues?

It seems that this year’s Cup is a wide open affair. So manypredictions and the reasons why teams will win or lose areout there, but this is sports and we watch them becauseanything can, and often does, happen. It’s the main reason whyI love spring best.

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The colour of love: Customizing your weddingwith colour(ARA)--White will probably never lose its place in a wedding, but a growingnumber of brides are turning to colour to help personalize their special day.From a pop of colour on a white or ivory wedding gown, to entire themes thatcarry throughout the flowers, decor, favors and accessories, you can use colourto set the mood for guests or make a statement about your personal style.

"Brides are embracing colour as another way to customize their weddings,"says Ray Miller of My Wedding Reception Ideas.com, a leading online resourcefor brides seeking unique wedding favors, wedding decorations and weddingsupplies. "Customizing with colour offers brides such a range of creativity.They can choose colours that honor their heritage, evoke the atmosphere ofa specific place, or celebrate a memory or experience that is special to thewedding couple."

If you'll be saying your "I do's" in 2011, Miller offers some advice for usingcolour to help create the wedding of your dreams.

Tips for choosing a colour

"When it comes to choosing colours for your wedding - whether it's for accessories, table linens, bridesmaid gowns or even a wedding gownaccent - the only unbreakable rule should be that you must love the colours you choose," Miller says. Keep in mind, however, that differentcolours will create different moods and not all colours will feel like a good fit for your wedding depending upon where and when you have it.

For example, if your goal is to create a wedding that captures the fresh, innocent aura of spring, vibrant red table linens and ice-blue bridesmaids'gowns will be in conflict with that atmosphere. "Certain colours are traditionally associated with each season," Miller notes. "If you're emphasizinga seasonal effect, keep in mind the colours that the natural world wears during that season."

Colours that will be popular this spring and summer include hot pink, apple green, celadon, pine green,clementine orange and yellow. Heading into fall, look for amber, chestnut, dark tangerine and brick red.Winter weddings will sport colours ranging from Santa's suit red and Christmas tree green to oyster gray, iceblue and pale purple.

Carrying it through

Once you've chosen your wedding colours, you'll need to think about how you'll use them - in both theceremony and reception. Yourcreativity will serve you wellhere. Your wedding colourscan be used in virtually everyaspect of your big day, fromthe bridal bouquet and decorin the ceremony location, totable linens and accessoriesfor the reception.

Accessory collections are aneasy way to carry your chosencolour throughout thewedding. For example, at MyWedding ReceptionIdeas.com, you'll find

accessory collections cataloged by colour. These collections allowyou to continue your colour theme - whether it's a traditional shellpink, a rich royal purple or even camouflage - with colour-specificaccessories such as flower girl baskets, ring bearer pillows,guestbooks and garters. What's more, you can customize tablelinens and even guest favors using your chosen colours.

Wedding gowns and colour

For decades in America, white and ivory have reigned when itcomes to wedding gowns. However, the colour trend that beganlast year with pops of colour appearing on bridal fashion runwayshas continued in 2011. This year, brides have more options thanever if they're looking to use colour to make a personal statementwith their wedding gown.

From gowns that feature beading and crystals in sparkling hues, tofloral accents that capture a season's signature colours, and evenbodices or skirts in contrasting colours, bridal gowns in 2011 aregoing colourful.

If you've already chosen a traditional white or ivory gown, you canstill dress it up with your wedding colour. A simple sash or floralaccent that matches your colour theme will look great against thepure, fresh background of white. And if you haven't yet chosen agown, you may just discover one with a touch of colour that canbecome the colour theme for your entire wedding.


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Scarcity of words offered to West End’s election candidates

The Local Seeker believes that political campaigners already give us more than enough rhetoric, so we wanted to offer them all anopportunity during this campaign to lay it on the table, if you will, using as few words as possible. Each candidate was allowed justthree words to dazzle us with personal traits we should admire most, as well as a 20-word platform.

The candidates from the major parties – Liberal, PC, NDP, BQ and Green Party - in each West End riding were all contacted. If they donot appear, it is because they were apparently not interested in contributing (or never saw the offer), although NDP incumbent ThomasMulcair DID personally call to say that he is “simply not a 20-word sort of guy.” Fair enough.

We sincerely thank those candidates who did contribute. I should also point out that West End offices representing the Bloc Quebecoiswere emailed our request - in English - and that we naively assumed a federal election was exactly the venue for banter in either officiallanguage. For the record, we would gladly have published their candidates’ comments in their mother tongues, but none wereforthcoming. This was apparently an intentional, concerted sleight. Mount Royal candidate Gabriel Dumais was emailed personally asecond time and chose to ignore the attempt. Talk about petty politics.

Outremont, which features some areas crossing over into our West End, was, surprisingly, the riding least interested in participating.Props to the PC’s Rudolphe Husny for breaking the shutout.

We also invited the Green Party’s West End candidates to contribute quite close to deadline, both individually and via their nationaloffice, and three of the four candidates responded. NDG-Lachine’s Green Party candidate, Jessica Gal, was the most impressive of all inthe succinct utilization of her platform word limit.

Bottom line: Do words really matter? What do YOU think?

Platform:

Liberals understand the real needsof working Canadians and we arethe only credible alternative to theHarper regime.

Trustworthy

Proactive

Experienced

Notre Dame de Grace - Lachine

Platform:

Protecting jobs and families alongwith keeping the community safeare my priorities. A strong voicefor Montreal in government.

Honest

Dedicated

Pragmatic

Platform:

Isabelle's main interests are theenvironment and matters such asour healthcare system, publicsafety, public transit andgovernment accountability.

Community

Environment

Security

The candidate did not reply toour email

Did

Not

Reply

Marlene Jennings Matthew Conway Isabelle Morin Gabrielle Ladouceur-Despins

Meadowbook protected; Turcotgreened; Prévention NDG funded;green retrofits tax credited;Empress resurrected; housingsubsidized; schools bilingualized;seniors, immigrants resourced.

Trustworthy

Democratic

Cooperative

Platform:

Leader for 30 years, anaccomplished Parliamentarian witha record of achievement for you.For Mount Royal. For Canada.

Integrity

Experience

Achievement

Platform:

Bring local experience to thenational stage! The Conservativeslowered your taxes and madeCanada the pride of the G7.

Integrity

Dedicated

Empathetic

Jessica Gal Irwin Cotler Saulie Zajdel

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Mount Royal

Incumbent

Incumbent


Platform:

Increased healthcare funding (moredoctors, shorter wait-times), job-creating business incentives, greentax credits, humane immigrationpolicies, fortifying seniors’ benefits.

Hardworking

Determined

Uniter


Did

Not

Reply

Platform:

Stimulating Green Economicsthrough taxing "bads" not "goods,"while investing in Greenindustries, creating jobs, caring forhealth and environment.

Green

Future

Now

Jeff Itcush Gabriel Dumais Brian Sarwer-Foner

The candidate chose not tocomment

Declined

Comment


Did

Not

Reply

Platform:

We aim to lighten the fiscalburden for average families, helpthe elderly, create jobs andgrowth, help small businesses.

Visionary

Empathetic

Respectful


Did

Not

Reply

Thomas Mulcair Martin Cauchon Rodolphe Husny Élise Daoust


Did

Not

Reply


Did

Not

Reply

Platform:

Riding to be represented ingovernment with commitment tothe stability of the economy andthe security of the nation.

Honourable

Tenacious

Dedicated

Francois Pilon Marc Garneau

Outremont

Westmount

Ville-Marie

Platform:

You can count on me and JackLayton to work with others totackle the problems we face inWestmount-Ville-Marie.

True

Canadian

Leadership


Did

Not

Reply

Platform:

Greens want: A competitiveeconomy, efficient and innovative;vibrant communities and strongsocial programs; and a return toreal democracy.

Justice

Foresight

Transparency

Joanne Corbeil Véronique Roy Andrew Carkner

Neil Drabkin

Incumbent

Incumbent

Why Should I

Vote?

The truth of thematter is simple:When you do notvote, you let othersspeak for you.


Spr ing rev ives theen joyment o f f re sh , local ly-grown produceSpring is finally here and I can’t wait to startplanting my vegetable garden. But, before thathappens, I need to plan it properly. Last yearwas my first attempt at gardening. I

haphazardly planted hither and dither and didn’t really considerwhat I was doing. I went to the market and chose vegetablesthat I like to eat and then I planted the little shrubs all over mybackyard. Some grew well, some did not and many got eatenby the CSL groundhog.

This year I have a plan. First I will clear an area that spends allday in the sun. I will get the dirt ready, too. I will fertilize it andadd better earth. I will need proper sticks to tie the vines whenthey grow. I will also need to weed regularly. Finally, I will putsome wire around the garden so my friend Nesbitt (we namedhim) doesn’t have a feast.

Of course the fun part is still going to the farmer’s market withthe kids and choosing the plants. I bought too many last year.It didn’t cost me much and, even though it yielded only onequarter of what I intended, we still had a nice harvest oftomatoes, herbs and Swiss chard. With a little bit of effort at thebeginning of the season and periodic weed-pulling throughoutthe summer you, too, can enjoy delicious organic vegetables!

If you don’t have a garden or are unable to plant and tend toone, you could still enjoy tasty organic fresh fruits andvegetables. They can be delivered to your door or to a depot inyour neighbourhood, straight from the farmer’s market. Thistype of service is becoming more and more popular. Jardin de laMontagne (http://www.jardindelamontagne.com/) and Jardindes Anges (http://www.jardindesanges.com/) are two farmsthat deliver to the West End.

Remember, fresh fruits and vegetables are best eaten in-season. There are several farmer’s markets around Montrealwhere you can pick up fresh produce as soon as it is harvested.The biggest ones are the Jean Talon Market and the AtwaterMarket. You can always freeze fresh summer produce, to beeaten later during the winter months.

Caryn J. Roll P.Dt. (514.817.0135)Twitter: @MTRLnutrition Join me on Facebookwww.montrealnutrition.com

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Welcome spring, hello winter clean up(ARA) – Spring not only ushers in a welcome relief from the coldtemperatures, but a slew of winter clean-up projects — begging thequestion, “Are you ready to host all of those summer barbecues that arejust around the corner?”

The best way to prepare for household repairs is to assemble a first-aidrepair kit for your house.

Gorilla Glue — This product is 100 percent waterproof and perfect forfixing anything from a broken chair leg to a broken flower pot. If you’venever used polyurethane glue before, be careful because it expands as itcures.

Gorilla Tape — The toughest duct tape you will ever meet, Gorilla Tape hasa strong fabric backing and three times the adhesive of other duct tapes. Visit www.gorillatough.com for moreinformation.

Simple tools — Why is it that you can never find a hammer when you need one? Keep duplicates of tools in your kit,and you won’t have to run around looking for them.

Cordless drill and variety of high quality screws — Tighten up exposed screws on things like your deck, wood railings,etc. before they become a safety hazard.

With your first-aid repair kit assembled, you are ready to tackle all of your winter repair projects.



Anna (Duncan)

O: 514-937-1717 - C:

at 514-773-1496Full Service Real Estate Brokers

[email protected] • [email protected]

332 Comte St.LaSalle Montréal

MLS ID#: 8523844Rent $595.00

9480 Boul. Gouin O.Pierrefonds-RoxboroMontréal MLS ID#: 8519850Price $515,000.00

330B Comte St.LaSalle Montréal

MLS ID#: 8523854Rent $1,430.00

330A Rue ComteLaSalle Montréal

MLS ID#: 8523825Price $565.00

444 Av. Édouard-CharlesOutremont Montréal

MLS ID#: 8514579Price $859,000.00

4400 Ch. deChamblySaint-HubertLongueuil MLS ID#: 8519562Price $689,000.00

3810 Rue St-Patrick #2B

Le Sud-OuestMontréal MLS ID#: 8519749Rent $1,550.00

3810 Rue St-Patrick #2E

Le Sud-OuestMontréal MLS ID#: 8519744Rent $1,850.00

Anna (Pedicelli) Duncan

and Judy Loeu

The Rainy Days of AprilFinally, the snow is melting and the days aregetting longer, however, it is also the rainyseason. Believe it or not, this is the perfect timeto get out and take really special photos. Mostphoto enthusiasts wait for perfectly sunnydays and think that this is the only time to takepictures. In actual fact, some of the bestimages are taken in inclement weather. Wetstreets, dark tree trunks and huge puddlesprovide you with really interesting subject

matter. The light is dramatic and artistic. All you need is a way toprotect your equipment. Good rubber boots, a nice big raincoat anda simple clear plastic bag to pull over your camera is all you need.Take the bag, cut off the corners and put your strap through theholes. Then you can compose your picture and pull up the bag whenyou are ready to shoot. There are also rain covers available on theInternet.

Give yourself a challenge. Get yourself ready and go out for an hourto shoot. If you are not sure what to photograph pretend you aredoing an assignment for an article that shows all the aspects of rain.Once you are out, look for anything that says rain to you. What doesit change? How do things look different? And, finally, what makes yourealize that it is raining?

You could start indoors before you go outside. Try raindrops on thewindows, patterns on the road and puddles in the driveway. Then getinto the car if you have one and have look at what the drops do on thewindshield. Downtown lights and signs look impressionistic. If you

a r e

walking around, have a look at the wet tree trunks, umbrellas, or the shinysurfaces of things. If you don’t want to be bothered adjusting your exposurefor each shot then use Program mode. As an alternative, try experimentingwith the depth of field. Put part of the picture out of focus by using largeopenings and the Aperture mode.

April rains can provide wonderful photographs… So get out and shoot!

PS - If you are interested in one of Linda’s upcoming workshops, please sendan inquiry to [email protected]. The first one, Spring Tune Up, takesplace on April 16, this weekend. Only two places are still available. ContactLinda for information on her future workshops.


IRVING SCHOK, B.com

Real Estate Broker

Cell: (514) 264-6048

Email: [email protected]

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v i s i o nMariposa… le café5434 Cote Saint-Luc Road

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Thursday nights are "Blues n' Ribs" with acoustic open

mic at 7:30pm

Come see, taste and listen:Themed monthly dinners,specials from $12-$15

accompanying entertainmentby local musicians.

Start your weekends withour nourishing breakfasts

and terrific java.

Salads, sandwiches andbeverages available all day.

Terrific homebaked goods to eatin or take out anytime.

This month’s musicians include:

April 15th "Maurice Charland Jazz trio"April 16th "Kim Adams & House CatsApril 22nd"Kyra Shaughnessey TrioApril 23rd "Will Riley, on pianoApril 29th "Di Nero", sax & guitarApril 30th "Strawn & Moon"

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When my late father raised me, there were certain Montrealmoments that were markedly special beyond all else: Trips to Belmont

Park and Expo 67; going downtown withhim to the rag trade’s Dress Town at Phillips Square to meet his sweatshop work buddies, after eating at the original Dunn’s deli located nextdoor; sharing a Steinberg Old Fashioned Apple Pie with him;standing in long ice-cream lineups at NDG’s ElmhurstDairy; scarfing down his exquisite salami and eggs andmatzah fry; and sipping gallons upon gallons of gingerale. My father was a ginger ale junkie and he passed thattrait on to me.

Not sure what it is about ginger ale. Maybe it’s simply amatter of taste. I mean, as was the case with most kidsof that era, I liked most soft drinks and we had no ideahow bad for you they were. Who would dare ruin akid’s day by expounding upon the dangers ofdrinking too much Eskimo soft drink, for instance? Thatnow-defunct Montreal-produced delight featured aspectrum of fancy flavours like banana, spruce beer and (yummy)grape, as well as sinfully sweet cream soda, nectar and root beer.

Eskimo’s ginger ale was also amazing, as is the plethora of productproduced by today’s manufacturers. My theory is that it’s all in thebubbles. Ginger ale HAS to have more of those than other soft drinks,because drink it too fast and you’ll certainly cough, hiccup or burpmore than with the others. It’s also the ginger, however… a sublimeflavour for those of us who enjoy it. It is also supposed to be medicinal,curing nausea amongst other things.

That’s what ginger ale pioneers such as JohnMcLaughlin likely had in mind (medicinalingredients were prominent in many softdrinks early on, including quinine in tonicwater and, of course, cocaine in the originalCoca Cola) when he invented the “modern”version of Canada Dry ginger ale in 1907,basing his concoction on the drink firstattributed to the Irish in the mid-1800s. In1890, pharmacist McLaughlin opened acarbonated water plant in Toronto, selling hisliquid to local drugstores for creating libationsinvolving fruit juices and other flavourings andeven concocting his own McLaughlin BelfastStyle Ginger Ale. He later refined the beverage,lightened the colour and, by 1922,trademarked it as The Champagne of GingerAles that we know today. What’s most ironic is that, as we proudly sipCanada Dry, it has been owned by the Texas-based Dr. Pepper/Snapplecompany since 2008.

A ginger ale taleby Bram D. Eisenthal

What’s worse is how badly they treated their newest version of ginger ale,when they added “green tea flavanoids” to it a couple of years back. I firsttried Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale while traveling in Southern Ontarioand fell in love with it. Upon my return to Montreal, the only place thatstocked it was Phamaprix and there was NO marketing to support theproduct. It lasted a year tops before they pulled it from the few shops thatcarried it and Canada Dry has ignored all my inquiries into the matter, as ifthis was some sort of soda pop cover-up. Not one of their finer moments.

National pride can still be reclaimed, as well as Quebec nationalist pride,with the knowledge that a very tasty and unique brand of ginger ale hasbeen produced in our very own Eastern Townships since 1896 (a great yearfor ginger ale, apparently). Started by John Henry Bryant – who ownedSherbrooke’s Silver Springs Brewery with Seth Nutter – Bull’s Head GingerAle was based on the drink that originally made the rounds in Belfast,Bryant’s home town, and in fact was thus named because Bryant’s wifefound him to be quite stubborn. The drink, which is of the darker, goldenvariety rather than the pale dry type, is richer and lingers longer on thepalate, yet isn’t overly sweet as are some other brands.

To learn more about Bull’s Head, I contacted Dominic Pearson, thepresident of the company located in Richmond, Quebec. Pearson firstbecame acquainted with the beverage at a young age. “I was a fan of Bull'sHead when I was a kid. Bull's Head is very symbolic in the Eastern

Townships and has been enjoyed from generation togeneration for 115 years. For this reason,

when I heard that Bull'sHead was for sale, I spoke

with my brother Carland my friend Charlesabout thisopportunity. The owner ofAbenakis Mineral Water,which we also own now,first informed me that Bull'sHead was for sale. Wewanted to continue thathistory.”

Pearson and his partners (thecompany’s fifth ownership group) felt it was important to keep Bull’s Headin Quebec rather than to sell out, although, while staying local, they areworking hard at increasing their market share in Montreal AND are alsoplanning to expand their territory to Ontario and New England. “Bull’sHead seems to be more popular with English-speaking people, soMontreal is a good target for us,” he told me. “We receive calls and e-mails

from Montreal all the time.” They already sellsome corporate merchandise such as tee-shirtsand aficionados are asking for novelty itemsincluding caps, belts and stickers, so they areplanning to make those available shortly.

I thought I’d ask the owner to describe the Bull’sHead experience. “The taste is unique. Not toosweet, very fizzy, refreshing with a special gingerand caramel taste. No other soft drink can becompared with Bull's Head, but for the sake ofcomparison to Canada Dry, you will see that it isvery different. Bull's Head appears less sweet andhigher in quality. Our ginger ale is also creamierand the taste stays in your mouth longer.”

Just like ginger ale after all these years, Bull’sHead appears to stubbornly be around to stay.I’m sure dad would approve.

For more information on Bull’s Head, visit their website at www.bulls-head.com


I hope you haveenjoyed this

issue.

We are working on

our next issue of

2011, and it will be

out April 29th

Deadline for

next issue:

Friday

April 22 12:00

noon

Best,Bram

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West End Issue 8