Salon du livre de Montréal 2012: 35th Edition

Le Salon du livre de Montréal 2012

November 14-19, 2012

This annual event - Le Salon du Livre de Montréal - is very popular with the Montrealers and represents a unique pre-Christmas opportunity to purchase many Christmas or simply holidays' presents. As usual, it is being held at the Place Bonaventure exhibition area. Especially on the first day, in the morning and in the early afternoon, the place is filled with the schools' visits. The children are crowding the book stands and the spaces between the booth. They produce the specific type of commotion and noise levels that only kids can. But it is such a pleasure to see them get excited about the books, and to see their eagerness at searching for what they would like to read!

It is also a great pleasure to observe at the Salon the grow-ups' interest in books. They browse through various books and line up, at times in long queues, for book signing sessions

The Canadian cultural icons like the Canada Council for the Arts (see on the left) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - MMFA (see just below) were also represented with their respective booth displays. The MMFA is one of the largest Canadian publishers of books on art, and had their numerous volumes displayed and available to look through.

A number of international publishers were also present at the Salon. For instance, Wallonie-Bruxelles large booth represented many Belgium publishers of that region.

In case you have missed this year's salon, I highly recommend to keep this event in your mind for the next year.

For more information, visit the Salon's website.

La Grande Dégustation de Montréal 2012

This event will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, November 8-10, 2012.

This will be the second edition of this event inMontreal. It provides the unique occasion to discover the finest wines that the world producers can offer. The environment is friendly, and the one-to -one encounter with wine suppliers or distributors offer a special experience, both wine appreciation and learning  experience. The taste-tasting of the wines will be for many unforgettable.

This is an event not to be misses! There will be wine producers from around the world. You will meet them in person, sample their wines, and can even stock up on their brands.

Each year the event showcases a country or a region, and a product of a special interest. In 2012, Portugal is the country of interest. Cabernet Sauvignon and rums of the world will also be honoured. To find out more about the event, visit the La Grande Dégustation de Montréal website.

http://www.lagrandedegustation.com/en

Mountain Equipment Co-op: New Boutique on St. Denis Street

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) today inaugurated a new store in the center of Montreal, on St. Denis street, in the part of the city called the Plateau. The new store is actually referred to as boutique. It does not carry the same great variety of clothing and equipment as their regular outlets. In fact, the size of the new retail place is only 1/5 of that of a MEC regular outlet.

This new MEC location has a novel concept, referred to as an urban boutique. The word ‘urban’ however does not designate that the boutique is located in the middle of a city and residential areas, but rather refers to the fact that it is geared to the urban population. Whereas previously Mountain Equipment Co-op had concerned itself chiefly with the “hard-line” sports, like marathon running, extreme rock climbing or hiking, the management has now realized that many former extreme sports practitioners have grown up, married, and have children. Their goals are no longer to excel and win in arduous sports, but to keep in good shape and enjoy the process. Now, instead of daily training, they might jog short distances twice per week, and go camping or for leasure hikes in nature with their children and family on weekends. Therefore, the sport clothing they buy has to also be used as a casual everyday wear in the city.

MEC now pays a special attention to needs of their female clientele who would like to look fashionable when wearing their sport clothing in the city. Therefore, they will be concerning themselves not only with the functionality of the clothing, but the design and colour.

The management has stated that the new MEC boutique is viewed as a kind of a laboratory to see what the city clients’ everyday needs are and how to adjust the items offered to satisfy those needs. They plan to closely observe and adjust this new concept during the next two years. As they rightly state, the cargo pants no longer satisfy especially the female clientele, and what was a standard in sports closing five years ago no longer fits the needs.

I would therefore urge all the readers of this post to go and visit the new MEC boutique located at 4394 St Denis Street, Montreal. From the middle of October you would be able to pick up a pamphlet that would enumerate all the special activities and conferences that the new MEC boutique will be holding to help people to keep in shape in the urban setting. Also, you can order through this store any items that the Montreal’s big MEC outlet has in stock, and can pick it up at the boutique in one hour’s time. In case you will have to return the item, it could be also processed through the St. Denis street boutique.

The new store’s MEC website.

Le Mondial des Cultures Drummondville

Le Mondial des Cultures Drummondville

31^st edition

July 5-15, 2012

An international folklore festival Le Mondial des Cultures Drummondville is presently held at the Woodyatt Park, located at the heart of Drummondville, a town in the Centre-du-Québec region. It was formerly called the Festival Mondial de Folklore (World Folklore Festival). It is basically a folk dance festival. During the eleven days of celebrations, dozens of renowned artists and folk ensembles from around the world participate in this event. In recent years, it has attracted on average over 300,000 visitors per year.

On a late afternoon, when I had my chance to travel from Montreal to visit the site, I was able to watch 3 folkloric groups to perform to considerable audiences.

The first one was from Martinique, the photo above. Their cheerful Caribbean music and rhythm quite enchanted the audience as they watched intently the dancers' every move.

Nearby, at the Espace Jeunesse stage, I found a Polish folkloric group. They consisted entirely of adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old. Yet despite being so young, they put on a great show. Their performance was charming and well appreciated. Their costumes were very colourful, making the girls look radiant.

After they finished the formal part of their performance, they initiated audience participation, inviting all the children present. There was a considerable number of children since the Espace Jeunesse stage is located in the children's playground area. 

The performers have left the formal stage setting and were teaching children a Polish dance right on the grass of the playground area. It was quite obvious that the children appreciated very much this possibility to get involved in a culture they did not know before and to dance to music so different from what they usually hear in Quebec.

The next group I had a chance to see at yet another stage at the festival, was from Cyprus, more specifically, from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Their costumes and music had a distinct oriental flavour. The dance performed on the left seemed to portray either prenuptial or wedding traditions. The girl in red is introduced to a young man in a red vest who opens the red veil and gives the girl a gift.

 
Next was an all male dance by the same Cyprus folkloric group. It was about the skill of balancing glass goblets filled to the brim with water on men's heads. After the formal dance part was performed, the men stood in line one behind the other, with legs wide apart. One of them, having placed several goblets filled with water on his head, began to crawl on his belly between the dancer's legs. The objective was not to spill the water and not to drop any glass goblets the performer was balancing on his head. The audience was thrilled when this was successfully accomplished. 

The Northern Cyprus folkloric group had no problems of getting members of the audience to participate on the stage with them after their final impressive performance act.

The following pictures show the general ambience of the festival grounds.

An ally with boutiques and folkloric items.

Children's playground area.

Russian Matrioshka dolls..

First nations compound.

The Mondial des Cultures is a festival for those who are eager to discover many diverse cultures of the world in line with the official festival's mission to "Develop and hold an international cultural event which displays the facets of various traditions of the world in a festival for the whole family where a brotherhood and universal spirit of peace prevails."

Montreal's Clock Tower Urban Beach

Clock Tower Urban Beach

In Montreal, as a number of other large cities like Paris, Prague, Amsterdam and Toronto, now has its own urban beach with no access to water. It features beautiful white sand, pretty light blue umbrellas, white and blue wooden beach chairs, and refreshing sprinklers so fine that what comes out of them does not even feel like water but only as moisture laden air mist.

From the beach one can see an old grain silo that was converted into condominiums (photo above), as well as Molson brewery, the oldest brewery in North America that continues to produce beer on its very original founding site. Those of you who have never tasted Molson beer, you really should. It might not compare to some European brews, but on the North American scene it tops many large-scale brewed ales.

The Clock Tower beach is located just at the foot of the Clock Tower. It also extends along a marina on one side. On the other side and above it is a parking area which leads to the Clock Tower.The white Clock Tower was in the past centuries the beacon for all the ships intending to docs in what used to be the port of Montreal. Now that area is called Old Port but is no longer opened to commercial ships.

The Montreal’s Urban Beach opened its door to the public on June 16th, 2012. For 2 days, June 16 - 17, the entrance fee was waived to all the visitors. And that was the last time, unfortunately, when that area was open to anybody to freely walk in. 


In the inauguration speech it was claimed that that Montrealers have long demanded more access to St. Laurence river, and that the Port of Montreal authorities have now provided it. The statement was really ironic. I used to like to walk in the little park just at the very tip of the land below the Clock Tower. Now that park is gone, the trees which grew there are gone as well, replaced by stylish umbrellas. The area is no longer freely accessible to all the Montrealers, especially the less affluent ones.

As I was walking recently towards the Clock Tower, looking down at the strip of the beach to my left, three young ladies past me by. I overheard one woman’s  comment, “This is more like a beach club”. Yes, indeed, it does give that impression. Judging from the onlookers in the picture below, they might be of a similar opinion: they cannot enter this beautiful piece of land unless they pay.

                                                            

SIAL Montreal 2012

SIAL Canada, in French Salon International de l’Alimentation (International Food Expo), caters to North American food-industry professionals. This show is one of the industry’s most important meeting places for North America, This year (and every even year) it is being held in Montreal. Every odd year it is hosted in Toronto.

SIAL Canada is an integral part of the SIAL Group —the world’s leading network of food-industry shows— which has a presence on 4 continents (Paris, Montreal/Toronto, Shanghai, São Paulo and Abu Dhabi):

This year, the addition of 10,000 square feet to its exhibition area, making the total surface area 175,000 square feet was announced. More than 600 exhibitors from over 40 countries have confirmed their presence, and over 13,000 professional decision-makers from 60 countries are expected to visit the show which will be held at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal from May 9th to the 11th, 2012, making this a record year for SIAL Canada and SET Canada (the Salon national des Équipements et Technologies en Alimentation). This expansion of the show's surface area attests to a 15% growth.

The most exciting products of the show are new trends and innovations in the food products and their packaging.   On April 17th, Grand Jury for the Trends & Innovations contest was held to determine the ten best international food innovations of the year. More than 60 companies applied for a place in the selection, and 44 products qualified for the Grand Jury, a record number for the 5th edition of the contest. The ten winning products will be showcased at SIAL Montreal SIAL show.

 The SIAL Canada 2012 Trends & Innovations products are:

- Line of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil products in a spray bottle (Maison Orphée – Canada)

Flavored extra virgin olive oil in a spray bottle, great for basting or marinating poultry, meat or fish. The concept’s modernity and ease of use were what caught the judges’ attention.

- Pearls (Citadelle – Canada)

Maple jellified pearls containing pure maple syrup. The concept stood out for its modern twist on a traditional local product.

- Gourmet caramel spread in several varieties (Vergers Duhaime – Canada)

Caramel spread with indulgent recipes such as butter and rum or maple and sea salt. Noted for their originality and sophisticated recipes.

- Maple sap water (de l’Aubier – Canada)

 Natural still water stemmed from maple sap, that was separated from its sugars, used to make maple syrup, to keep only the water. An original and unique concept for a natural product.

- Greek-style probiotic yogurt (Skotidakis Goat Farm – Canada)

Fat free greek probiotic yogurt, with a good source of protein by serving. A new product on the emerging North American dairy market.

- Le Complait without lactose– milk beverage (Nutrinor – Canada)

A great-tasting enriched dairy product with probiotics and prebiotics that is suitable for people who are lactose-intolerant. The panel of judges selected the product because it meets an ever-growing need in the consumer products sector.

- Basilur Winter Book (Basilur Tea – Sri Lanka, represented by Global Business Network - Canada)

Selected tea in a book-shaped packaging. Chosen for its original gift packaging.

- Effet Bleu frozen treat (Opti Bleu inc. – Canada)

Squeezed blueberries juice ice bar, rich in antioxidants. Noteworthy because the product contains 90% blueberry juice, recognize for its health benefits.

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- Anti + (Novidev Santé Activ - Canada)

Fruit to drink with its bioactive compounds intact, no additives or preservatives. Fruit juice with the accent on the fruits’ beneficial properties.

- Ninette Ice Cream varieties (Ninette Ice Cream – Canada)

A range of ice cream with original flavours such as thyme and lemon, raspberry truffle, or crunchy gingerbread, noted for their original recipes, surprising flavours and textures.

The ten above innovations demonstrate  that an average consumer has some exciting new products and favours to watch for as they will be appearing the local stores.

On the same dates and in the same location Expo Canada France Inc. (part of the Comexposium network) which is responsible for the SIAL Canada organization, also puts on another show that aims to meet the needs of an ever-changing food market. Thisshow is SET Canada— a national exhibition of equipment, technology and services for the food-service and hotel industries.

Montreal Home Show 2012

Montreal Home Show 2012

The Montreal’s annual National Home Show ran this year from March 16 until March 25, 2012. It was held, as usual, in the spacious Place Bonaventure exhibition hall.

Once again the show was visited by great crowds of people eager to see new products to improve one’s home, not only in regard to masonry, but including all the aspects of home comfort and efficiency. e product categories were on display: Construction, Décor, Electronics, Heating / Air Conditioning / Energy, Kitchen / Bathroom, Major Appliances, Pool / Spas, Recreational, Renovation, Services. Bedroom was also highlighted by several exhibitors One was able to try various beds, matrices and pillows, including the orthopedic ones.

The photo above attests to the fast collection of spas, pools and jacuzzis that Trevi company had on display. 

Also displayed were different methods of home construction and insulation. For instance, NUDURA integrated technology were available for the visitors to examine, touch and talk about to a representative of Givesco company located in St.-Leonard Quebec.

Especially stunning was the new modular home by Le Marquis Concept. You can read more about it and about other 2012 show’s highlights on this webpage:

http://salonnationalhabitation.com/en/attractions/show-highlights.snh

Here are some examples of bathroom renovation ideas. The show has a great viriety of bathroom solutions to offer for any individualized taste.

Below is an example of a dining room decor. It is a very classical look and very inviting. Who would not have liked to sit at such a table treated a sumptuous meal? The decor by itself creates a warm ambiance for an anticipated meal and is congenial not only for private home dining but also entertaining of guests.

Beds and bedrooms as well as kitchens were also amply represented.

I would urge you to keep the National Home Show in mind for the next year 2013. Don't miss it!