On Tuesday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. We’ll be talking about back to school 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.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Tues Aug 17th

The Canadian Bead Oasis Show is landing here at Place Bonaventure and is open to the public. Besides the thousands of types of beads, you can buy jewelry, kits, and they offer classes.

Location: Place Bonaventure, 800 de la Gauchetiere
corner: University
Tel: 866-311-1104
Dates: Aug 13 - 15
Hours: Fri 12-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5
oasisshows.com

Q1: Today you wanted to talk about stores that have stood the test of time and have been open a long time, a really long time - an entire century!

I have so much admiration for stores that stand the test of time. It is so hard to be in business in the retail sector and to survive through generations of changing styles, language issues, population shifts and recessions, that these stores deserve kudos.

Q2: What are some of the obstacles they have had to overcome to last this long?

There are so many things that retailers seem to think are necessary to take into consideration these days to operate a store - merchandising their wares, buying the right mix of products, the flow of traffic in and around the store, the way things are presented to grab the buyer’s attention, the amount of air and space in the store, the price points to set, colors to influence you, the right music to put you in the mood to buy, and on and on.

Q3: Is there a key thing you might say that links the different kinds of stores that have survived?

When stores are run by head offices and the owners are not there with their ear to the ground, it’s like the game of “Broken Telephone”. The retail shoppers  may be looking for one thing, but the store’s buyers are ordering out of a different catalogue. There is a lag between the customer’s wants and what the store stocks.

And probably most importantly, most stores that are open this long are family businesses. In order to keep food in the fridge and a roof over their heads, every single customer who walks in that door is crucial to them, so they must treat them right, listening to their needs and solving problems positively so they will come back again and again.

Q4: What types of stores have made it this far?

Another thing to mention is that each of these businesses is in a niche market, and one in which  there has always been a need:

Made-to-measure coffee has brought java lovers to Union Coffee, a Montreal institution since 1910. Owner Stephan Khoury, says they try to make customers feel at home.  It’s so comfortable, they want to come back, hang out at the coffee bar and chat”.

This wholesaler roasts the coffee right here, so you can choose one or custom blend from amongst the espresso, melange maison (regular and strong), french press, Kenya, Panama, Columbia Supremo, Fair Trade, decaf and Swiss washed decaf.

Those who like flavors can buy  or one of the 30 flavored syrups (vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, etc.) to add in. Coffee related products like iced cappuccino, or chai latte concentrate now line the shelves.

Free delivery is offered for 5 pounds or more. They sell espresso machines (Saeco, Rancilio, Pavoni, Breville, Quick Mill, Jura, La Spaziale) and teapots, too. Repairs to these machines are available.

Location: 148 Jean-Talon ouest
corner: Waverly
el: 514-273-5555
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-3
www.cafe-union.com

Don’t be put off by the location - it’s only 15 minutes across the Mercier bridge, and the sheer volume (100,000 sq. ft.) of merchandise at Tapis Lanctot is worth the ride. The Lanctot business has been around for 127 years; Now they sell floating and hardwood floors (look for the bargain bins starting at $.89) including condo solutions, ceramic tiles (starting at $1.25), about 500 area rugs, carpeting, vinyl flooring (lots of  remnants too).

Denis Lanctot told me that one thing that was impressed upon them from their elders (besides honesty and respect) when growing up in the business, was to look to the future and see what is coming. The store started out as a general store, saw the beginnings of the automobile, changed merchandise, saw shopping centers, changed direction, etc. etc. This generation built a warehouse building to include other home-oriented vendors.

They’re known for choice and service, and their prices are low all year round. Other vendors are inside their building selling wallpaper, paint, bedding, blinds, furniture, kitchen cabinets, plumbing, windows and doors.

Location: 148 Boyer,  St Isadore
corner: St-Regis
Tel: 514-875-1954
Hours: Regular plus Sun 11-5
Other location: Longueuil, 2025 ch. Chambly (450-647-1571)
www.lanctot.qc.ca

After you’ve stepped through the Art Nouveau portals of Archambault, Montreal’s oldest (1896) and largest music emporium, you can feast upon 4 floors and 45,000 sq. ft. of musical supplies, from sheet music and a grand salon of pianos to a full store of CD’s, DVD’s, books, games, office supplies and gifts

Locations: Main store,  500 Ste-Catherine est
corner: Berri
Tel: 514-849-6201
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5
Other locations: Place des Arts, 175A Ste-Catherine o. (514-281-0367); Laval, 1545 boul. Le Corbusier (450-978-9900); Brossard, 2151 boul. Lapiniere (450-671-0801); 7500 Les Galeries d’Anjou (514-351-2230); 677 Ste-Catherine o. (514-875-5975); Mega-Centre Ste-Dorothee (450-719-2020).
www.archambault.ca

Q 1: It’s holiday time for a lot of people,  you have some ideas of outings that are cool and FREE to the public?

With money for vacation fun limited in a tight economy, you can enjoy a holiday in your own city. Museums which are cooly air-conditioned have a FREE days, and you can spend hours exploring.

Q 2:  Of the art museums, which ones are open for FREE and on which days?

Musee d’art contemporain du Montreal focuses on  modern art, so the color and forms are usually quite appealing to children and its always FREE for kids under 12.  Right now the exhibit “With Glass, Under Glass, Without Glass” focuses on glass, neon and mirrors in sculpture, architecture, furniture and films. Kids might like the shattering mirror one. There’s a Projection Series about Music Video.

Location: 185  Ste. Catherine  ouest
Tel: 514-847-6226
FREE Hours: Wednesday 5 - 9 pm. Always FREE for children under 12
www.macm.org

Musee des Beaux Arts’ entire permanent collection in the building on the  North side of Sherbrooke is always FREE to the public. You can see Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Rembrandt, Renoir, Dali, Corot, Courbet and more.

One show on now is a collaboration between Cirque de Soleil and the House of Bourgeron, the Parisian jeweler, with 20 necklaces on view. You can also see  Ben Weider’s Napoleon collection.

Location: 1379 Sherbrooke ouest
Tel: 514-285-1600.
FREE Hours: Everyday for the North side main building. South side Demerais Pavillion which houses temporary exhibits are ½ price Wed evenings 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Children under 12 are always FREE
www.mmfa.qc.ca

Q 3:  Some people don’t enjoy going to see artwork, what other options are there for them?

At the McCord Museum of Canadian History you can see see costumes, textiles, decorative arts, ethnology, drawings, photographs and First Nations  collections from the 18th century to the present. On now: Dream Weavers - Costumes by Cirque du Soleil which salutes the costume designers and artisans by opening a window into Cirque’s costume workshop. You’ll see  the various steps in costume and accessory production, from dyes and design to hats, lace and shoes.

If you like photography, Nance Ackerman traveled to all parts of Canada to capture faces and expressions of about 20 Aboriginal women.

Location: 690 Sherbrooke ouest
Tel:  514-398-7100
FREE Hours: 1st Sat each month 10 a.m- noon. Children 5 and under are always FREE.
www.mccord-museum.qc.ca

The Canadian Centre for Architecture focuses on architecture, urban planning, landscape design research and collection dating. Surprisingly the show on now is “Other Space Odysseys”: Greg Lynn, Michael Maltzan, and Alessandro Poli developed unique and imaginative approaches to the questions of space travel and the habitation of new, extraterrestrial areas. Expect to see models, collages, animation, and drawings both real and virtual, from the simple tools of a farmer to the digital animation of a science fiction film.

Location: 1920 Baile St.
Tel: 514-939-7026
FREE Hours: Thurs eves 5:30- 9. Students and children are always FREE
www.cca.qc.ca

The Redpath Museum on the McGill University campus is in a gorgeous grand home. It holds real gems, dinosaur bones, sea shells, skulls, skeletons , stuffed animals, fossilized plants, Egyptian mummies as well as African musical instruments.

Location: McGill Univiverstiy, Sherbrooke St. at McTavish St.
Tel: 514-398-4086.
FREE  Hour: Always Free
www.mcgill.ca/redpath

Q4: You haven’t spent anything for your entrance but you haven’t yet stepped into the gift shops, is it good idea to shop in them?

At the Musee des Beaux Arts de Montreal you can buy prints of the artwork. At their jewelry counters they showcase original designs by Quebec artisans, toys, stationery and serving pieces.

Since the Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal is so modern, the items sold here are cutting edge designs like  zipper necklaces,  costume jewelry designed by Anne-Marie Chagnon, Vanessa Yanow, Michel de Bellefeuille, Sonia Ferland, Racine, Marianne Alexandre, and Carole Rivet. There are purses made out of recycled 45-rpm records, pens and desk accessories, Atelier Entre-peaux re-cyled sacs, Toma vases, glass objects, kitchen gadgets, Scrap Postal albums, key holders, Cloe dolls, wooden mind puzzles, note cards, and toys.

The Musee Pointe a Calliere focuses on archeological history so you can buy Amerindian jewelry, wampum pouches, quill pen sets and Inukshuks.

On Wednesday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. We’ll be talking about summer shopping, ideas for people who have recently moved 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.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Wed July 14th

Q1: Today you want to let us know that although there might be oil spewing in the Gulf of Mexico, there will be no more oil spills possible in Montreal.

A: That’s right. We have reached the end of the line for oil or alkyd paint for painting inside our homes. With so many people getting ready for moving, and getting their new abode ready to live in, I just want  to let you know that as of the end of this year, paint stores will not be getting any more deliveries of oil based paint for painting inside or outside their homes. If they love the durability and wearability of this paint, they better get it now. The stores will be given two years to sell off whatever they have left on their shelves.

Q2: Why is it being taken off the market?

A: The reason is for reduced emissions in the air. The solvents in oil based paints take perhaps 30 days to dissipate into the atmosphere.

Q3: What if we had oil based paint on our walls or our shingles, what do we do now when we want to re-paint? And what do we do about areas that need the scrub-a-bility of oil paint?

A: You can go from oil to latex by sanding the walls, or using TSP (trisodium phosphate) cleaner and then using a primer in order for it to adhere properly. Paint companies, like Benjamin Moore has come up with en entirely new generation of paint. Theirs is called Aura which is tougher than conventional latex. It has a new molecular structure and is the biggest chemical change in paint since the  1950’s. You can scrub it to death.  Aura seals in an hour or two. No toxins being released as it seals so rapidly.

Q4: Where can we go to get this paint?

The outside of the Hub has an old-timey neighborhood feel and inside it reaffirms what shopping should be. Sure it’s a hardware store (some plumbing, gardening too) with personalized service but the raison d’etre these days is the bubbly decorating consultant who offers you a cappuccino and steers you through any decorating dilemmas (can even come to your house if needed). There’s Benjamin Moore paint, tons of wallpaper books, fabrics for curtains, blinds & shutters, Richelieu hardware, supplies to do the project, or even her little black book of experts to do it all for you.

Locations: 441 boul. Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield (514-695-3389); 3460 boul. des Sources (514-421-1454).
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs 8-8, Fri & Sat 8-5, Sun 12-5.
www. hubhardware.ca

City Paint is Montreal’s oldest paint store, open since 1898. Name brands sold here are Benjamin Moore and Mythic, along with stains and varnishes and tons of brushes. Yes, they’ve got the color matching computer, and low VOC, no VOC and the only VOC paint without toxins, but it is the service, the good old-fashioned kind, that has kept people coming back for generations from all over the city. If it’s good enough for the Mulroneys, it’s good enough for you.

Location: 200 rue Rachel est at Hotel de Ville
Phone: 514-288-8009
Hours: (Mar-Oct) Mon-Wed 7:30-5, Thurs & Fri 730-8,  Sat 9-4, Sun 11-4;  Nov-Feb) Mon-Fri 7:30-5, Sat 9-4
www.citypaints.ca

Q5: Is there any place we can go for the best price for paint?

Les Industries Gotham is a family business which has been manufacturing paint under many brands for the past 43 years. You can buy factory direct with friendly service and get an excellent product which yields a better result than some name brands at twice the price. Interior latex acrylic is only $27 for 3.78 litres, or you can buy it by the contractor’s pail of 18.9 litres for $95. They have ceiling paint, exterior latex, gray cement floor paint, industrial and more. They can also match your color with their computerized color matching system.

Location: 231 Rene A. Robert, Ste. Therese
Phone:  450- 435-1227
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-4
www.gothamindustries.com

Both Rona  and Reno Depot are having a 25% off sale on Sico Paint up until June 29th If you like Sherwin-Williams paint, I’ve come across one store in Pierrefonds (4798 boul. St-Jean Tel: 514-696-2000) which is offering 40% off until July 4th.

Q6: Any other comments?

- Stores will still be able to sell alkyd paint for industrial use - for outdoors,  metal, floors, rust.
- They are also coming out with hybrid paints that use oil resins in them but can be mixed with water.
- There are also O VOC paint to be used in baby’s rooms, or to be able to paint while pregnant or for people with immune deficiencies.

On Wednesday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. We’ll be talking about Spring 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.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Wed May 26th

On the show I’ll be giving  away a glow-in-the-dark T- shirt  (size large) with a ying-yang design, and one doggie shirt (size large) with a ying-yang design.

These are Scotchlite shirts by canucme.com, and they reflect light to make walking at night safer. They have been donated by Les Textiles Bon-Mar at 8448 boul. St-Laurent (Tel: 514-382-2275).

All you have to do is add a comment here, stating whether you’re interested in the human or dog version of the shirt, and leave your email address (or those of friends who might want to win one). Winners will be picked by a random computer program, and they will be notified by email.

I’ve seen it coming for a couple of years so I can’t say I am surprised but Classy, the men’s formal wear company has gone bankrupt. Any male from young to old that wants to own a tuxedo, this is an opportunity to stock up. Tuxedos don’t change all that much over the years so you could pick a classic style and wear it a long time.

Men are lucky that way. When women are invited to formal events, we have to constantly look for new special occasion dresses and gowns plus all the accouterments that go with it. It takes a lot of time and effort. While we run around in circles each time, men are just relaxing at home.

These suits have been rented out so they call them “previously enjoyed”. It didn’t bother you when you rented it so it shouldn’t bother you when you own it. A tuxedo with a jacket and pants is only $39.99 and a full outfit with suit, shirt, tie, vest, suspenders, cuff-links, shirt studs, handkerchief, pants, cummerbund, socks and shoes is only $69.99. Boy’s suits with a tuxedo, shirt, tie and handkerchief is $29.99 and if you want to add a vest or shoes they are $5 each. Oversize suits are there too.

Wholesale volume sales are possible for anyone including: retailers, hotels, reception halls, restaurants, caterers, waiters, schools, churches, weddings,  or proms.

Locations: St-Michel (main warehouse), 8211 17th Ave at Jarry;Decarie, 6100 Boul. Decarie at Van Horne; Hochelaga, 6945 Hochelaga at Haig;
Phone: 514-344-4456
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-9, Sat & Sun 9-5
Bancrupty auctioneers: www.mgmartin.com

After 77 years, Ararat Rug Company, Montreal’s oldest family owned carpet business founded by Kerop Bedoukian, is now closing.

Ararat is owned by Harold Bedoukian who”grew up in the business. He has been active in Oriental rug associations in the US and Canada.  He is treasurer of the Armenian Rugs Society, past president of the Montreal Oriental Rug Club and The Quebec Carpet and Textile Society. Harold Bedoukian is the only appraiser in Montreal certified by the Oriental Rug Retailer’s Association, (ORRA).

He works with his wife, Janice Summers, who is an internationally respected authority on Oriental rugs.  She has more than 30 years of experience as a retailer, collector, author and lecturer, and is the author of four books and numerous articles on Oriental carpets.

Harold and Jan’s knowledge of the history, design and techniques of oriental rug weaving extends far beyond their formal education.  They travelled extensively in the Middle East where, for centuries, the manufacture and merchandising of rugs were closely linked to the culture and often the mainstay of life itself.  They spent time with rug weavers from the most primitive nomadic peoples to sophisticated urban communities whose skills have been refined and passed down from generation to generation. Harold and Jan have studied the artisans’ crafts and artistry from the gathering of goats’ hair to the preparation of detailed cartoons from which rugs are woven.

When buying a rug from Ararat you were always able to rely on their knowledge and be confident of its quality and assured of its provenance. Now we have to say “adieu” as they continue the tapestry of their lives.

Location: 3457 Avenue du Parc
Corner: Milton
Tel: 514- 288-1218
www.araratrug.com

Our efforts to become better keepers of our Earth just got easier here in Quebec. Kruger Products, a home grown company and maker of Cashmere Bathroom Tissue, SpongeTowels and Scotties, has launched their first complete EnviroCare family of 100% recycled, premium-quality paper products for the home.

Perfect for living green and supporting our neighbors while keeping the house (and your nose!) clean.