june 2007 –v2.6 gardens create an edible cityscape · 2019. 5. 29. · june 2007 –v2.6 arts...

June 2007–v2.6 Arts & Entertainment on the Island and Beyond 27,000 copies

Restaurant ReviewTraditional Chinese: Lao Beijingand Village Mon Nanby Stuart Woods

There’s a joke that the world’s best Chinese food can be foundin Chinatowns of North American cities. Try telling that to a hun-gry tourist in Beijing and you’ll begin to see the humour.The wisecrack belies the fact that Westerners often regard Chi-

nese food as a strictly down-market cuisine, a perception that ispartly justified by the fact that many signature“Chinese-Canadian” dishes have more in continued on page 11

Amy, Lloyd and Diane in the Westmount garden behind Westmount High.

Maternally YoursAvoiding toxinsin household productsby Annika Melanson

Scary stuff! After reading a recent articlein The Globe and Mail about dangerous compounds found incosmetics, I started to reflect about which products I buy formy 4-year-old daughter, Amel.After visiting www.lesstoxicguide.ca, I was shocked to find

that some traditional items such as sham-poos, bath gels, plastic baby bottles as well continued on page 7

by Stuart Woods

It’s a bright Saturday morning in mid-May and about a dozenyoung volunteers have gathered to move a garden across town.They’re standing on the cracked concrete rooftop of a Univer-

sité du Québec building in the Plateau in a landscape that’s moregrey than green. Yet this desolate expanse was home for the pastthree summers to a remarkably productive garden, the result ofan innovative project to find ways of gardening in tight urbanspaces.An initiative of Alternatives, a Montreal-based non-profit or-

ganization, the Rooftop Garden Project isn’t your conventionalearthbound garden, but instead uses a combi-nation of traditional gardening techniques and continued on page 9

Gardens create anedible cityscape

Check out our Happeningssection to see what’s goingon in Montreal.

From the Mondial de la Bière

and the F1 Grand Prix of Canada

to

the Jazz fest and the

Montreal Fringe Festival

Inside…

ART Montreal Biennaleby Chris “Zeke” Hand p.4BOOKS Catherine McKenzie reviewsBlood Sports and Garcia’s Heart p. 6WINE: Sommeliers by Carola Price p. 10RESTAURANT REVIEW Lao Beijingand Village Mon Nan p. 1MOVIES Three third sequels by DavidPrice and Catherine McKenzie p. 5COOKING Summer herbsby Anthea Dawson p. 8PRACTICAL POINTS: Investing in Mayby Michael St. B. Harrison p. 14GARDENING Mulch byMary Soderstrom p. 12THE URBAN TOWNSHIPPER p. 15

OneYear Anniversary

Now in both languages!Maintenant endeux langues!

Great gift booksfor visitors to Montreal

Available at Chapters • Coles • Indigo

Festival City

� Mondial de la Bière is an opportunity forbeer enthusiasts to taste over 350 beersfrom around the world. Admission is free.Tastings are between $1 to $5. WindsorStation and Courtyard, 1160 de laGauchetière West. For more informationcall 514.722.9640 or go to www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca. May 30 to June 3.

� Mutek is a festival of electronic music and“digital creativity” that brings together over150 international artists. A weekend passis $90. Events take place at severallocations downtown. For more info go towww.mutek.ca. May 30 to June 3.

� Montreal Fringe Festival showcases theatreand performance artist of everypersuasion. For more information call514.849.3378 or go towww.montrealfringe.ca. June 7 to 17.

� F1 Grand Prix of Canada is cherished byracing fans and a great weekend foreveryone else to get out of town. Generaladmission is $25 on Friday, $50 onSaturday and $75 on Sunday. Circuit GillesVilleneuve, Île St. Hélène. For moreinformation call 514.300.0000 or go towww.grandprix.ca. June 8 to 10.

� Suoni Per Il Popolo is a month-longfestival of independent and avant-gardemusic featuring Akron Family, NihilistSpasm Band and a rare performance byJandek. Casa del Popolo (4873 St. Laurent)and La Sala Rossa (4848 St. Laurent). Formore information call 514.284.0122 or goto http://casadelpopolo.com/. June 1 to 30.

� Festival International de Jazz de Montréallanded a coup when they added VanMorrison to an already star-studded rosterincluding Bob Dylan, Keith Jarrett andManu Chao. For more information call514.523.3378 or go to www.montrealjazzfest.com. June 28 to July 8.

Music

� Paris-based singer Feist promotes hercritically acclaimed new disc TheRemainder. Tickets are $27.50. Call514.908.9090 or go to www.ticketpro.ca.Olympia, 1004 St. Catherine St. June 1.

� Proto-grunge group Dinosaur Jr arereunited. Tickets are $25. Call514.286.1010 or go to www.ticketpro.ca.Club Soda, 1224 St. Laurent. June 9.

� Rufus Wainwright plays to a sold outcrowd at Place des Arts. Tickets are $37.50to $48.50. For more information call 514.842.2112. Théâtre Maisonneuve. June 14.

Art

� Beatriz Colomina, a visiting professor ofarchitecture from Princeton, presents alecture on Alison and Peter Smithson’s“House of the Future.” Admission is free.For more information call 514.939.7001 orgo to www.cca.qc.ca. Canadian Centre forArchitecture, 1920 Baile. May 31 at 6 pm.

� An exhibition of fifteen illustrations fromthe children’s book Twan le Courageux!coincides with the book’s launch.

Admission is free. Maison de la cultureNDG, 3755 Botrel. For more informationcall 514.972.2157. The book launch is onMay 31 from 3 to 8 pm and on June 2 from1 to 5 pm. The exhibition continues toJune 17.

� A new exhibition of work by BruceNauman brings together neon-lightsculptures, film and video. The exhibitioncoincides with the launch of a series ofmonthly cocktail parties in the museumgarden. The inaugural edition on June 1from 6 to 9 pm features music by DJChampion and his G-Strings. Free withmuseum admission ($8 for adults, $6 forseniors and $4 for students). For moreinformation call 514.847.6226 or go towww.macm.org. Musée d’art contemporainde Montréal, 185 St. Catherine St. West. ToSeptember 3.

� Major international architects Rem Kool-haas and Peter Eisenman in discussionwith Phyllis Lambert. Canadian Centre forArchitecture, 1920 Baile. For moreinformation call 514.939.7026 or go towww.cca.qc.ca. June 8 at 10 am.

� Two shows take our relationship to theenvironment as a startingpoint. Éclats de vert examinesthe relationship between natureand creativity (June 14 toAugust 18) and artists ChristineBrault and Thérèse Chabotinvite the public to bring infruit, vegetables and medicinalherbs to be used in theirperformance piece abouthuman consumption (June14 and 20 from 5 to 9 pm).Admission is free. Maison de laculture Côte des Neiges, 5290Côte des Neiges. For moreinformation call 514.872.6889.

� Projet Cameroun relates theexperience of students of urbanplanning from Université deMontreal in a small village inCameroon. Admission is free.Maison de la culture NDG, 3755Botrel. For more information call514.972.2157. June 16 to August 25.

� Paintings and drawings by Mary MarthaGuy depicting the Newfoundlandlandscape, as well as fabric collages byCatherine Hoey. Admission is free.McClure Gallery, 350 Victoria Ave. Formore information call 514.488.9558 or goto www.centredesartsvisuels.ca. To June 16.

� Two exhibitions comprising photographs,engravings and collages look at life andlandscape on the St. Lawrence River’sNorth Shore. Admission is free. Maison dela culture NDG, 3755 Botrel. For moreinformation call 514.972.2157. June 21 toAugust 25.

� Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a CanadianIcon brings together 150 works by therenowned Canadian artist and examinesher influence on succeeding generationsof artists. Admission is $15 for adults,

2 – Vivva MONTREAL – June 2007

Happenings Vivva Montreal’s guide to what’s on around the island.

$7.50 for students and seniors, and freefor children under 12. For moreinformation call 514.285.2000 or go towww.mmfa.qc.ca. The Montreal Museumof Fine Arts, 1380 Sherbrooke St. West.June 21 to September 23.

Cinema

� Films that Transform. The McGill medicalfaculty’s film series wraps up with ascreening of 39 Pounds of Love, a docu-mentary about a man suffering from arare form of muscular dystrophy. Ticketsare $10, $5 for students and seniors.Moyse Hall, 853 Sherbrooke St. West. June12 at 7 pm.

Theatre

� The 2007 season closes with the DoraWasserman Yiddish Theatre’s productionof Those Were the Days, a musical tribute toYiddish theatre. Tickets start at $38, $34for seniors and $25 for students. For moreinformation call 514.739.7944 or go towww.saidyebronfman.org. The Leanor andAlvin Segal Theatre, 5170 Côte des Neiges.June 3 to 28.

Community Events

� Westmount Public Library presentsHoward Richler, author of Global MotherTongue, giving a talk on how the Englishlanguage is being affected by the additionof new words. Admission is free, butregistration is required. For more inform-ation call 514.989.5386 or go to www.westmount.org. Westmount Public Library,4574 Sherbrooke St. West. June 13 at 2 pm.

� Don’t miss The Rotary Club of West-mount’s annual auction and garage sale.For more information call 514.935.3344 orgo to www.rotarywestmount.org.Westmount Arena, 4675 St. Catherine St.West. June 1 at 6 pm (auction preview) andJune 2 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm (sale).

� Author Janice Hamilton gives a talk withslides on her book The St. Lawrence River:History, Highway and Habitat. For moreinformation call 514.935.7344 or go to

www.atwaterlibrary.ca. Atwater Library,1200 Atwater. June 5 at 12:30 pm.

� Atwater Book Club discusses IanMcEwan’s Saturday. For more informationcall 514.935.7344 or go to www.atwaterlibrary.ca. Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater.June 13 at 7:30 pm.

� Author Joan Edward will read from herbook about Newfoundland, This is OurPlace, This is Our Home with live musicalaccompaniment. For more informationcall 514.935.7344 or go to www.atwaterlibrary.ca. Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater.June 5 at 12:30 pm.

� Harmonia Westmount Choir Presents aconcert titled “Kungala: A Place to Singand Shout.” Tickets are $10, free forchildren under 12. St. Mathias Church, 10Church Hill Rd. June 14 at 7:30 pm.

� Group show at Galerie d’Este, 1329 GreeneAve. Admission is free. For more inform-ation call 514.846.1515. June 15 to July 1.

� McClure Gallery hosts a group exhibitionby LOVE (Leave Out Violence), a Montreal-based NPO that mobilizes youth tocommunicate a message of non-violence.Admission is free. For more information

call 514.488.9558 or go towww.visualartscentre.ca. McClureGallery, 350 Victoria Ave. June 22 toJuly 14. Vernissage is on June 21 at6 pm.� Secret Garden Tour is a tour ofeleven of Westmount’s hiddenhorticultural gems. Tickets are$35 and include a box lunch. Formore information call514.989.5265 or go towww.westmount.org. June 14 at9 am.

� Words & Music celebrates wordsand music in an eclectic fashion.Admission is free. For moreinformation call 514.989.8671 orgo to www.westmount.org. TheGallery at Victoria Hall, 4626Sherbrooke St. West. June 14 at7 pm.

� Author Hélène Jasmin gives aslideshow and French-language talk on thehistory of the Reford Gardens. For moreinformation call 514.989.5386 or go to www.westmount.org. Westmount Public Library,4574 Sherbrooke St. West. June 20 at 7 pm.

At the New Forum (Bell Centre)

June 7 Roger WatersJune 9 Champion and his G-StringsJuly 6 The White StripesJuly 10 ToolJuly 17 Def LeppardJuly 19 Hillary DuffJuly 25 & 26 The PoliceJuly 28 Deep PurpleAugust 7 Daft PunkAugust 8 Marilyn MansonAugust 13 Meat LoafAugust 14 BeyoncéAugust 18 Justin TimberlakeAugust 25 Frank Sinatra Jr.

The Police are reuniting (for now) and coming to Montreal on July 25-26

Vivva MONTREAL – June 2007 – 3

By Marilynn Vanderstaay

Former Miss Canada accepted toTufts University

After working for the United Nations inseveral capacities, and months of concen-trating on putting together an excellent ré-sumé, NDG resident Cristina Remondwas accepted to the Fletcher School of Lawand Diplomacy at Tufts University inBoston. It was a competitive challenge forthe former Miss Canada who was one of160 placements from 1,600 hopefuls whoapplied for the program. The total weightof all the résumés put together was 83 kilo-grams and the stack of paper was 36 feethigh.

Film and Music

Accomplished NDG international art-ist, musician and now film director G.Scott MacLeod will screen his documen-tary After the War with Hannelore: ABerliner War Child’s Testimony onMay 31 at8 pm at the McAuslan Visitor Centre andthe Maxwell Haus studios at 5080 St. Am-broise. The video pays homage to Han-nelore Scheiber by recounting her storiesof post-war Berlin in a seven-vignettevideo documentary dealing with her ColdWar experiences in Berlin from 1945 to1982. There will also be an exhibition ofMacLeod’s recent series and his exhibitionMeeting with the Goddesses. For more in-formation go to www.macleod9.com.NDG composer/musicianMark Pinkus

will be presenting a selection of songsfrom his latest CD Slowly the Day Goes Byat the Yellow Door Café (3625 Aylmer) onFriday, June 15. Tickets are $10. For moreinformation or to purchase a ticket, phone514.487.5079.

Loblaws events

On Thursday, May 10 Loblaws Caven-dish and Brome Lake Ducks presented amajor culinary event. Chef Jacques Poulin,executive chef of Château Bromont, gavea sold-out, in-depth seminar on all aspectsof preparing roast duck and other dishes,including the preparation and cooking of aduck confit and warm duck confit salad.The seminar was so successful commu-nity events coordinator Paul Shubin al-ready has a waiting list for the fall event.The cost is $25 per person, plus taxes. Toget on the waiting list, phone 514.481.6959.On May 25 Loblaws Cavendish contin-

ued its Survivor: The Kitchen series with acooking class for teens. Thirteen youngpeople worked hands-on preparing theirdinner, which this week was an Indianmeal. The Survivor series continues Fri-

day, June 15 from 4:30 to 7 pm at the store,6600 St. JacquesWest. The cost is $15 andincludes dinner. To reserve or for more in-formation, phone community events co-ordinator Paul Shubin at 514.481.6959.

MUCS community initiatives

The Montreal Urban Community Sus-tainment (MUCS) program held openhouses and info sessions and a commu-nity cookout in May at the NorthcliffeSquare (2000 Northcliffe Ave., Suite 219)to raise awareness about the new commu-nity dining initiative. Wheelchair accessi-ble and kid-friendly, the dining co-op willgive residents an opportunity to buildfriendships and community aroundshared food. With already 40 members ofall ages from all sectors of the community,it is a growing group of people interestedin working together to create a communityspace in NDG where people can come to-gether to cook and share meals as well asbenefit from group food buying. To learnabout the program and the four levels ofmembership, go to www.mucs.ca, phone514.312.7074 or email [email protected] MUCS threw a jar drive and zine

launch party onMay 12 at Café Shaika thatrocked the house with music until mid-night. The event netted the MUCS 40 jarsand $300 for their community canning co-op. Workshops in the how-to’s of canningare ongoing in preparation for the harvestmonths where members will be able tocan and take home jars of preserved fooddonated from local food redistributors andfarmers.Available July 1, the MUCS initiative is

also offering inexpensive 4 1/2 and 5 1/2rental apartments grouped around com-mon living and office space. For more in-formation, phone 514.312.7074 or [email protected].

NDG Barter Network

Members of NDG Barter Network canuse their NDG bucks at a variety of ex-changes that will be held in NDG in Juneand beyond. To learn more about the or-ganization whose goal is to reduce, recy-cle, re-use as an alternative to purchaseand over-consumption, email [email protected]

Volunteer drivers desperately needed

A food bank serving over 200 house-holds a week with free emergency food isin desperate need of a volunteer who candrive a cube van to do pick ups of food do-nations Tuesday mornings or afternoons.If you can help, please phone Wendy at514.483.4680.

The joy of Westmount

Speaking at the Rotary Club of West-mount on May 16, City councillor GeorgeBowser, commissioner of parks and recre-ation, shared the City’s plans to participatein the national Communities in Bloomcompetition that will be judged in West-mount on August 13. All Westmount resi-dents are encouraged to participate bycleaning their gardens, yards, streets andeven their back lanes. After winning theprovincial competition four times, West-mount has progressed to the national leveland will compete against Grande Prairie,Lloydminster and Charlottetown.

Turf foes turn out

A public consultation at Victoria Hallon May 16 on the possible use of artificialturf in the fields south of the bike path inWestmount Park was well attended. Op-ponents of artificial turf were clearly in themajority among formal presenters, ques-tioners and attendees. They presented nu-merous points against artificial turf, in-cluding health, urban planning andfinancial aspects. Proponents defendedthe safety of artificial turf, as well as its re-silience compared to natural grass. For alonger analysis of the turf debate, pleasesee the June 6 edition of theWestmount In-dependent.

Spring Soirée

Victoria Hall rocked with the fun, foodand music of the fifth annual WestmountSpring Soirée on May 24. Over 180 partic-ipants, not all from Westmount, enjoyedan elegant black tie evening of cocktails inthe Gallery at Victoria Hall followed by anevening of dining and dancing in VictoriaHall.This year a painting by Westmount

artist Roxanne Dyer was the signaturepiece for the soirée and was featured atboth the event and on the invitation.

Family Day

Westmount hosted its 32nd annualFamily Day on May 26. The event, held atWestmount Park, included many partici-pating groups, including the Rotary Clubof Westmount, the Montreal police andWestmount Public Security, the Scoutsand the Contactivity Seniors’ Centre. The3rd Field Engineer Unit operated a zip lineacross the pond, which attracted a longline of eager children. The make-up boothunder the gazebo was also a big hit.

Hope for cancer survivors

Westmounter and cancer survivorGwen Vineberg is one of the organizers ofthe Hope & Cope survivorship day, “Pick-ing Up the Pieces: Moving Forward AfterCancer” that will be held on Monday, June4 at 7 pm at the Block Amphitheatre, Pavil-ion B, 3755 Côte St. Catherine Rd. AuthorKathy Scalzo will present a four-stageprocess for navigating the days after treat-ment. Admission is free and families,friends and children are welcome. Formore information phone 514.340.8255.

Book launch

Westmounter Anne Renaud, who worksfor the City of Westmount in its commu-nication division, launched her latest chil-dren’s book, Island of Hope and Sorrow:The Story of Grosse Île at Babar en ville onGreene Ave. on May 24, A postive reviewhas already appeared in Nuacht.

Full editions of the Westmount Inde-pendent are published the first and thirdWednesdays of the month.

The NDGers WESTMOUNTINDEPENDENT

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Hospitality Corner Gift ShopMontreal General Hospital1650 Cedar Avenue Entrance (6th Floor)Coffee Shop, Catering Service

and Gift Shop514.934.1934x43026

[email protected] profits are donated to patient care

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4695 deMaisonneuve Blvd. Wcorner Lansdowne(514) 937-1146

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Don’t like to get up early?Busy during the day?

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by Chris “Zeke” Hand

In the past, the Montreal Biennale wasa small, tidy affair that for a variety of rea-sons was ignored by the general publicand most of the art world. This year’sevent is still likely to be ignored, but thiswould be a very bad thing as the event forthe most part kicks butt from here to Tim-buktu (or, if you prefer, Venice).Initially, I saw Montreal Comic City,

which in the program is described as a“large scale exhibition (that) demonstratesthe importance and specific characteristicsfound in Canadian independent comicbooks, mini-comics, ’zines and graphicnovels.” Let’s just say that in the biennaleprogram the location of the show iswrong, the first time in my life I thoughtsomething like that could be a good thing.

Art school

That experience did not turn me off thewhole biennale. Later that same week Iheaded downtown to École Bourget, anabandoned high school that has been re-purposed for the event and turned intosomething like 32 separate exhibitionspaces.That’s where I saw a piece by David

Hoffos titled “Scenes from the HouseDream, Phase 5: Treehouse.” If I were towrite “gorgeous, spectacular, breathtaking,amazing, wonderful, stupendous, fabu-lous and flat out tons of fun,” I wouldn’tbe doing it justiceIn a nutshell, you enter a very dark

room. Once your eyes have adjusted yourealize that there are four tableau-likethings in front of you, each viewablethrough a framed glass window. They arerather benign scenes, things like a subur-ban street just a little too close to the high-way and an empty room with curtainsblowing in the wind. But what makesthem absolutely spectacular is that theseare not your standard-issue tableaus whereeverything is presented plain and simple.No siree Bob! These tableaus use mirrors,the reflective nature of glass, video andvideo cameras to play with concepts of per-ception, reality and what it is that makessomething visually attractive.Nothing else at École Bourget is as

spectacular as Hoffos’ piece. But there’sstill a bunch of mighty cool work, andwhatever isn’t cool isn’t completely cold or

off-putting. In no particular order, some ofthe highlights are: Theo Sims, MichaelAwad and Evan Penny, Christine Davis,Eleanor Bond, Numa, Annie Pootoogook,Bill Smith and Sarah Anne Johnson.

Street art

The biennale has an educational com-ponent this year as a way of encouragingstudents. Since most people are likely topass right by the student room, I figurethat I should highlight the good stuff.One thing that strikes me about the stu-

dent work is how much it is influenced bystreet art. Not only your standard-issuegraffiti, but other less familiar forms aswell, such as the tape casts of body partspopularized by American artist Mark Jenk-ins.Evan Penny makes these absolutely

twisted and weird busts of people’s faces,like something you would imagine seeingafter drinking 30 shots of Jack Daniels. Forthe biennale he worked with MichaelAwad to make one of the most twistedfaces I’ve ever seen, and Awad took pho-tographs to accompany the bust. If youwant some art-historical allusions, imag-ine viewing a Ron Mueck sculpture onacid, and you might be close.

Nothing’s perfect

The main point is that the show atÉcole Bourget is good, well worth the $6admission. However, I’d like to make acouple of quick complaints.In English, the show is called Crack the

Sky; in French it’s called Remuer ciel etterre. The two names do not mean thesame thing: it’s sort of like calling theshow Rouge in French and Blue in Eng-lish.I am also sorely disappointed to say that

if you are in a wheelchair or have difficultygetting up stairs, there are no elevators orramps for you at École Bourget.But this is just nitpicking. Overall, the

stuff I saw was good and makes me wantto see the rest of the biennale. And believeit or not, I’m looking forward to the 2009version as well.Chris “Zeke” Hand runs Zeke’s Gallery. Allopinions expressed above are his own. He

does not represent, manage, consult orotherwise have ANY affiliation with the

artists or galleries he writes about, unless itis explicitly stated in the review.

Art Review

Montreal Biennale:better than ever

An image from David Hoffos’s darkly lit piece “Scenes from the House Dream, Phase 5”. Courtesy:TrépanierBaer.

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Twice monthly(1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month),next issue: June 6Westmount (H3Y and H3Z):10,000 copies by Canada Post200 copies distributed to over30 waiting-room drops

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Published by Sherbrooke-Valois Inc.310 Victoria Ave., Suite 105Westmount, QC H3Z 2M9Fax: (514) 935-9241

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Montreal Calendar

Soon in stores

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

He said:It is not often that one sits in a movie

thinking that Hollywood actors are notpaid enough, but any movie that has thephrase “torch of destiny” cannot help butelicit such thoughts.This movie plays out like a bunch of

kids always trying to one-up one anotherby appealing to higher levels of the super-natural. The progression is from DavyJones’ locker (to rescue Jack Sparrow,played again by Johnny Depp) to the pi-rates’ “brethren court” to scenes aboardthe supernatural ship The Flying Dutch-man to a final apocalyptic fight against theEast India Company (which threatens todestroy the pirate way of life). But beforethat happens, the sea goddess Calypso mustbe freed (or not, depending on your theo-logical viewpoint).Throughout, Sparrow prances and

preens and fires himself around on ships’rigging. This character was based on KeithRichards (who is in the movie, in an ut-terly forgettable performance). What Deppseems to have missed is that Richards (de-spite spending his private life drinkingand falling out of coconut trees) generallyappears cool, collected andmacho. Depp’sSparrow comes off as either drunk or gay,neither of which fits the plot.A multicultural gathering of pirates

eventually does assemble and elects Eliza-beth Swann (Keira Knightley) to be theirking (who ever thought there’d be a polit-ically correct pirate movie?). Variousspeeches align the pirates on the side ofhard work, freedom, true love and freelove – and against heartless capitalism, (lit-erally) heartless men and the heartlessforces of empire.I think 10 to 12 years olds might really

enjoy penetrating the various levels of thismovie. For younger kids, the variousparental death scenes might be upsetting.For us older kids, the only real solace is

the comic intervals offered by the Frickand Frack duo of Mackenzie Crook andLee Arenberg. At one point, the two mis-chievously speculate whether they candrop cannonballs on the souls of the dead.If only they could have heaved a cannon-ball onto the original prints of this movie.

She said:Arggg. There be pirates! And plots! And

villains! And destiny! And true love! Anda dozen stolen scenes from better movies.

Orlando Bloom asWill Turner channelingCarey Elwes playing the Dread PirateRoberts in the eternally excellent ThePrincess Bride; the floating bodies sceneright out of the Dead Marshes in The TwoTowers; the hour-long ship battle too remi-niscent of Master & Commander; a lovescene ripped from the cover of a Harle-quin romance novel. In Shrek, thesehomages are funny and intentional. Inthis movie, they are derivative and bad.The acting is not much better. When

the funniest thing in your comedy is amonkey and two bozos who were un-known before these movies and who willfade into obscurity afterwards, it is not agood sign. Bloom is treading water; Deppis imitating himself imitating KeithRichards imitating a pirate; and Knightleylooks like she forgot which Elizabeth shewas playing (but I didn’t like her in Pride &Prejudice either). She acts as if holding hernose high enough will keep the stench ofthis film from making a permanent im-pression.I don’t know what happened between

the first of these movies, which I enjoyed,and this one. Oh, right, I do: it was calledPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.If you liked that one, you’ll like this. If youdidn’t…well…don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Shrek the Third

He said:In this third installment of the Shrek

series, the king of Far, Far Away dies. Al-though it is Shrek’s wife, Fiona (CameronDiaz), who is the king’s daughter, the un-enlightened succession laws of Far, FarAway will make Shrek (Mike Myers) king– unless he finds cousin Arthur, the nextin line to the throne, and convinces him totake over. Of course, the donkey (EddieMurphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Ban-deras) tag along on the journey to findArthur.

Reluctant reviewer

Meanwhile, Prince Charming – cha-grined by his failure to marry a princessand become king himself – plots his re-venge by recruiting all the storybook vil-lains he can find: Captain Hook, variouswicked witches, evil talking trees etc…I did not want to see this movie. I did

not love the first two movies half as muchas the rest of North America. And thetrauma of being doubly exposed (west-wards and eastwards!) toHappy Feet on anairplane (there was no escape!) has deep-


Three thirds: pirates, ogres & spiders

Summer Movie Round-Upenedmymild bias against animated films.But the readers of Vivva needed a review.Duty called.End result? I really enjoyed Shrek the

Third. Unlike so many of these thinly plot-ted puff pieces, the plot made sense (withinthe parameters of its unreal world). PrinceCharming’s desire for revenge was a real-istic motive. Shrek’s reluctance to be kingwas believable and sincere. And the jokeswere funny.I am not sure how appropriate the

movie is for small children. The king’sdeath throes could really upset some kids.And while the abundant sexual innuendowill go over their heads, I wonder whetherit won’t burden the movie with dialoguethey just won’t care about.

She said:I was more enthusiastic about seeing

this movie, if only to see the Puss in Bootscharacter again. (How do they capture An-tonio Banderas’ essence in a cat?) How-ever, I was less enthusiastic than Davidabout this film, particularly at the begin-ning, which I found a bit slow. The moviedid pick up, however, and I always marvelat the amazing little details that they putin these films.Two small examples: at one point the

Gingerbread Man’s life is threatened andhe sees his life flash before his eyes in ahilarious montage of scenes. At anotherpoint, Prince Charming wears leg warm-ers as he rehearses for the theatrical showduring which he intends to kill Shrek. Atthe same time, there is a small scene fromA Chorus Line being re-enacted (veryfunny).

Jokes galore

I could go on and on and I am sure thatI missed a million more jokes just likethese. There are also lots of little insideones: at one point, Fiona’s mother, playedby Julie Andrews, breaks into a song fromThe Sound of Music. There are visual refer-ences to Lord of the Rings. In short, a lot ofsmart and funny people have put a lot ofwork into this film. It is therefore funnyand worth watching.I think my central issue with the film is

that I find Shrek and Fiona kind of boring.I’d rather see a movie about the side char-acters, and when it focuses on them, thisfilm is at its best.

Spider-Man 3

He said:Spider-Man 3 has all the attributes of the

first two, better, movies: good special ef-fects; villains with comic-book-plausiblemotives; adequate-to-good acting by TobeyMaguire (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) andJames Franco (Harry Osborn); and thepresence on the screen of Kirsten Dunst

(Mary Jane). And then the plot starts…

Fade to black

I have not read the Spider-Man comics,but I have always been intrigued by theblack spidey suit. Did it make Spider-Manevil? Edgier? Tougher? Did he wear it forespecially difficult missions? Regardless,the black suit promised to be cool. In thismovie, it makes Peter Parker callous to-wards Mary Jane, but just a bigger geekvis-à-vis the rest of the world. Did I write“geek”, full stop? That’s not accurate: itturns him into a geek who looks like afailed drama/art student posing as theyoung Hitler (complete with comb-over).Even the characters in the movie see himas a loser. End result? The black suit – themain plot point of this movie – is the op-posite of cool.And there was other stupid stuff, too:

an “other woman” in Spider-Man’s lifewho is not even close to tempting, a PeterParker-as-lounge-singer scene that seemslike an outtake from The Mask (1994),etc…And it’s long (2 hours and 20 min-utes). See it, True Believers, if you must,but don’t expect much.

She said:There are all kinds of things that don’t

work in this movie: the fact that PeterParker is now (in movie three) letting thefame of being Spider-Man go to his head(even before he puts on the black suit ofevilness), the fact that he continuouslywears his hapless expression of wide-eyedinnocence and guilelessness, the fact thatMJ never seems to sleep over, the fact thatMJ seems to have more chemistry withboth the evil and the temporarily goodJames Franco, the fact that a conk on thehead makes James Franco good and a kissand a drink make him bad again, the factthat all the characters are related in someway (what is this, an episode of Lost?) etc...

Unoriginal and out of placeThere are also all kinds of unoriginal

things in this movie: e.g., the odd JohnCleese look-alike moment in a Frenchrestaurant and Franco’s butler who looksand acts suspiciously like Batman’s.Additionally, the pacing of this movie is

all wrong. It turns into an odd romanticcomedy in the middle, and spends somuch time in this mode that it then has tocram in the dispatching of three villainsinto twenty minutes. To do so, characterssuddenly know things they shouldn’t andpeople they don’t.On the plus side, it’s nice to see Franco

acting carefree in the middle. His per-formance is vastly improved from theother installments. Also good was TopherGrace as an ambitious rival to Peter Parkerand a touching scene between PeterParker and his aunt.


by Catherine McKenzie

Blood Sportsby Eden Robinson

Garcia’s Heartby Liam Durcan

What is CanLit? The thought of it al-ways chills my blood. I’m sure this is be-cause of the mandatory force-feeding that

we receive in high school ofone-too-many depressingbooks and poems by some-one named Margaret.But what is it? Wikipedia

defines CanLit as literaturethat “whether written in

English or French, often reflects the Cana-dian perspective on: (1) nature, (2) frontierlife, and (3) Canada’s position in the world,all three of which tie in to the garrisonmentality. Canada’s ethnic and cultural di-versity are reflected in its literature, withmany of its most prominent writers fo-cusing on ethnic life.”If a book is set in Canada and written

by a Canadian, but doesn’t reflect on na-ture, the frontier life or our marginal po-sition in the world – if there is no sense inthe novel that we are garrisoned in our en-clave – does that mean it’s not really Cana-dian?Do these books meet the CanLit crite-

ria? They do not.Are they set in Canada and written by

Canadians? They are, so maybe theyshould be CanLit.But in the end I have to measure them

against objective criteria that boil down tothe questions: Are they any good? Would Irecommend these books to anotherreader?

No bloody good

For Eden Robinson’s Blood Sport, theanswer is a definitive no.The novel is set in Vancouver’s grubbi-

est neighbourhood, and the characters areappropriately grubby. The story followsTom, a hapless man-child caught up in theaftermath of his psychotic or sociopathiccousin, Jeremy. Tom is involved withPaulie, an ex-junkie who has also beentrodden on by Jeremy. The book openswith Tom writing a goodbye letter to hischild with Paulie. What follows is a hectic,fractured journey through the past, whichcomes out in no particular order and oftenwith an unreasonable and unnecessary

amount of violence.I’m not sure what I dislike most about

this book. The fact that the first chaptershows such promise and then it all fallsapart? The fact that none of the charactersare sympathetic? The fact that Robinsonkeeps changing tenses, points of view,styles and genres, without any rhyme orreason other than to show us she can? (Idon’t enjoy it when Fitzgerald does it andI like it even less here).All these negatives are contenders.

When I put them all together, the only rea-son I could think of for finishing the bookwas that I was writing this review. Aha! Itis CanLit!

A good heart

McGill professor Liam Durcan’s firstnovel,Garcia’s Heart, was bet-ter. The novel is about a manwho learns that his mentor(and the father of his firstlove) may have committedwar crimes a lifetime ago inHonduras. When that man is

placed on trial in the Hague (or Den Haagas Durcan continuously, annoyingly andpretentiously insists on calling it), Patrickflies in to watch the trial and perhaps as-sist him in his defence. At the Hague heencounters his old flame, who is there tosupport her father. The rest of the novelfollows the trial and burrows into the pastso that we can understand the relation-ships that are before us on the page.

Predictable fodder

Durcan is a good writer and managesto evoke with equal vividness a place Iknow extremely well (part of the novel isset a block from where I grew up) and aplace I have never been.However, nothing about the novel feels

original, other than the concept. I knewimmediately that the story would weavebetween the past and the present (novel-ists can’t seem to help themselves fromdoing that these days). I knew that therewould be a girl from his past lurkingsomewhere. I knew that the explanationoffered for his mentor’s behaviour wouldshift as the story unfolded.Finally, I found the defence’s legal the-

ory in this case to be implausible andlegally unrealistic. It is worth reading,though, particularly for those who enjoygood and original descriptive passages.

Catherine McKenzie is a Montreal lawyer.

Book Review

When CanLit won’t do

$20 CAN PROVIDE THE GIFT OF ALIFETIME TO A CHILD THIS SUMMER!Each year, Welcome Hall Mission organizes asummer camp in a lovely country setting for lessfortunate inner city kids. $200 is the cost for onechild for a week. It only takes 10 people at $20 eachto send one child to summer camp, and 5 peopleat $40. A donation receipt is issued for each gift.Give hope. Give laughter. Give today.Send your gifts to: Welcome Hall Mission

606 De Courcelle StreetMontreal QC H4C 3L5(514) 523-5288

Or visit our secured websitewww.welcomehallmission.com

Soon in stores

Chapters • Coles • IndigoRenaud Bray • Archambault

as scented lotions contain toxins. Babiesand children are more susceptible tochemicals and toxins than adults becausetheir immune systems are still developing.Jennifer A. Casey, a former make-up

artist, was also concerned. After the birthof her baby in 2001 she began cooking uphomemade baby products from naturalhousehold items found in her kitchen cup-boards. Her products, Dimpleskins Natu-rals, are available online. She also has abook titled Homemade Baby: The Guide toMaking your Own Baby Care Essentials… theNatural Way!. For more information go towww.jenniferacasey.ca.If you are looking for an organic, chem-

ical-free sunscreen, Lavera SPF 15 is avail-able in a spray bottle for babies, childrenand adults at À Votre Santé, 5126 Sher-brooke St. West. For more information call514.482.8233.

Working mummies

Are you a mother who owns her ownbusiness and doesn’t have time to net-work? MIB to the rescue! No, I am not re-ferring to Men in Black, but to Moms inBusiness.MIB was developed by two mothers,

Sheba Remer and Shari Reinhart to:• unite women committed to growingtheir business in a spirit of cooperationand support;• develop business goals while helpingothers develop theirs;• acknowledge that everyone has some-thing valuable to contribute; and• heighten word-of-mouth awarenessthrough non-competitive connections.Members benefit from monthly meet-

ings, trade shows, networking lunches,and an annual cocktail party, as well as theHappy Hour Speed Meeting mixer.The next Happy Hour Speed Meeting

is on Tuesday, June 12, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at a location to be announced. Havesome wine and cheese, meet the speakersand mingle with potential clients at thissocial event. If you are interested in regis-tering for the event, or in becoming amember of MIB, call Shari at 514.684.9081 or Sheba at 514.624.8590, or sendan e-mail to [email protected].

Play dates

Enfants du Quartier is offering freeplay until Labour Day! If you need to visitthe loo, change a diaper or just get out ofthe heat for a moment, the café welcomesparents and children free of charge. Coldfruit smoothies are available (for a charge).Lunchtime Funtime is a combination

of singing and dancing, arts and crafts anda snack. Sessions are held onWednesdaysat 10:20 am for toddlers ages 18 monthsto 3 and on Thursdays at 10:30 am for ages3 to 6. Sessions last one hour and cost$4.50.The café is used for birthday parties on

weekends and is closed on Saturdays andSundays at 3 pm. If you are interested inhaving the exclusive use of the café for aparty, as well as a helping hand to set upand clean up afterwards, the cost is $235.Enfants du Quartier, 5588A Sherbrooke

St. West. For more information call514.904.2382 or go to www.enfants-duquartier.com.

Family farm for sale

For 25 years, Elwood (a fifth-generationfarmer) andMarie Quinn have owned andoperated Quinn Farm. When they boughtthe farm, the land had been abandoned.The couple developed the land by plantingtrees and raspberry bushes while Elwoodwas on staff at Macdonald College.From cut-your-own Christmas trees to

apple picking, Quinn Farm has been of-fering fun activities for Montreal familiesfor 25 years. The Quinns have decided toretire and are looking for a new family toadopt the farm. Quinn Farm may be yournew calling. If you think that you are up tothe challenge of adopting the farm, thengive the Quinns a call!Strawberry picking at Quinn Farm be-

gins at the end of June. The cost is $1 perperson. A tractor takes you and your fam-ily to the strawberry fields to pick berries.A full basket costs about $8. Quinn Farmis open seven days a week from 8 am to 4pm. It’s a good idea to call ahead if weatherconditions are questionable. Quinn Farm,2495 Perrot Blvd., Île Perrot. For more in-formation call 514.453.1510 or go towww.quinnfarm.qc.ca.

Maternally Yours updates

All aboard for Thomas the Train!Thomas and friends will be live on stageon Sunday, June 10 at 11 am and 2 pm atSalle Wilfrid-Pelletier. The show is titledThomas Saves the Day. Tickets are $21 to$40. Place des Arts, 175 St. Catherine St.West. For more information call 514.842.2112 or go to www.thomasandfriends.com.The best part about summer in Mon-

treal is playing outdoors in warm weatherafter a long winter of hibernation. We arefortunate to have so many wonderful

parks to enjoy.On that note, this is a reminder that

while the warm weather is inviting to chil-dren and families, it is also inviting topredators. Child-snatchers, pedophilesand other dangerous undesirables fre-quent parks and playgrounds and tend tolurk where there are hiding places, suchas bushes or large trees. Remember to beextra vigilant with your child.Enjoy June in Montreal with the kids

and don’t forget the hats and sunscreen!

Annika Melanson is the author ofThe Montreal Pocket Parent and

Le Bottin des Bambins and co-authorof Yummy in my Tummy in Montreal.

continued from page 1

Toxin-free products are availableVivva MONTREAL – June 2007 – 7

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by Anthea Dawson

One of the great things about summerin Montreal is the abundance of freshherbs, which add freshness to summer-time recipes and not a single calorie.Fresh herbs are available at the open-air

markets that dot the city, and they are easyto grow in your backyard. Whether start-ing from seeds or already sproutedseedlings, herbs are a very easy addition toany city garden and a great investment. In-stead of spending money on a fresh bag ofbasil every week, just step outside and snipoff a few stems for your tomato salad.Herbs are a dummy-proof way to start upa little veggie garden in the city and willbring you a lot of enjoyment.

Planting an herb garden

Some herbs are much heartier thanothers, so it is a good idea to figure outwhich herbs grow well together beforeplanting your garden. It is also importantto give each herb enough space to grow. Ifyou’re concerned that your garden is get-ting a little crowded, use a barrel filledwith earth to start your herbs (this is alsoa good idea for apartment-dwellers with abalcony or rooftop access).Herbs do not need particularly fertile

soil, but good drainage is important to pre-vent the roots from getting soaked and rot-

ting in the rain. Some herbs, like mint andsage, need to be contained or they willovertake a garden. Plant them in a tin canor bucket, punch abunch of holes justabove the bottom rimto allow drainage, andsink these into theground; this shouldconfine the plants forseveral years.

Healthful benefits

Not only do freshherbs add flavour andfreshness to yourcooking, but they alsobring with them anample supply of nu-trients and antioxi-dants. Many scien-tists believe that freshherbs contain moreantioxidants and cancer-fighting nutrientsthan most fruits or vegetables.Herbs are also a source of many natural

remedies: mint relieves indigestion; rose-mary is high in antioxidants and is knownto relieve depression, stress and head-aches; fresh basil is great for treating coldand flu symptoms, as well as exhaustion;and parsley is rich in iron and containsmore vitamin C than most citrus fruits


(it’s also a great breath-freshener!).Without fresh herbs, summer cooking

would be missing the punch that is essen-tial to so many dishes. So take advantageof what Montreal’s markets have to offerthis summer!

Grilled Leg of Lamb With Fresh HerbMarinade and Gremolata

This is a great, easy summer recipe packedwith fresh herbs. Try using local Quebec lambif you can – it usually comes fresh and theflavour is amazing!1 6- to 7-lb. leg of lamb, boned, butter-

flied and trimmed of excess fat(about 4- lbs. boned& trimmed)3 cloves garlic,mincedZest of 1 lemon: cup red wine. cup low-sodiumsoy sauce. cup extra-virginolive oil1- Tbsp. choppedfresh oregano2 Tbsp. choppedfresh mint2 Tbsp. choppedfresh rosemary1 Tbsp. kosher salt2 Tbsp. freshlyground black pepperGremolata:

Zest of 2 lemons- cup finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf)

parsley4 cloves garlic, mincedMix together garlic, lemon zest, red

wine and soy sauce in a small bowl. Slowlywhisk in olive oil until marinade is emul-sified. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper.Place trimmed leg of lamb in a shallow

bowl or large ziplock bag and pour mari-nade over top. Let marinate for at leastfour hours.For the gremolata, mix together lemon

zest, chopped parsley and garlic in a smallbowl. The gremolata can bemade up to sixhours in advance.Prepare a charcoal grill. Remove lamb

from its marinade and pat dry with papertowel, reserving the marinade for basting.When the coals are really hot, grill lambfor 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare, basting with the left-over marinade.Remove lamb from the grill and let it

rest for a few minutes. Slice thinly, spoona little gremolata over top and serve withoven-roasted potatoes and grilled aspara-gus.Serves 6.

Caprese Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella

This renowned tomato salad from thebeautiful island of Capri is one of the simplestand most extraordinary summer dishes, tak-

ing just minutes to prepare. Buffalo moz-zarella is a unique cheese available at mostspecialty cheese shops and tastes a hundredtimes better than its rubbery counterpart. TheCaprese salad is traditionally made with adrizzle of best-quality extra-virgin olive oil,but if you prefer an acidic punch add somebalsamic vinegar just before serving.4 to 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes (about

4 lbs.), sliced --inch thick1 lb. fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced --

inch thick. cup packed fresh basil, washed and

dried4 Tbsp. best quality extra-virgin olive oil1 Tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar (optional)Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

to tasteArrange slices of tomato and buffalo

mozzarella in an alternating manner on alarge serving platter, so that the slices areslightly overlapping. Rip up the basil byhand (chopping it with a knife will cause itto bruise) and sprinkle on top of the toma-toes and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil andbalsamic vinegar (optional) and sprinklewith sea salt and pepper.Serves 4 to 6.

Anthea Dawson is the executive chefof Simply Wonderful, a catering company.

She can be reached [email protected].

Fresh herbs enlivensummer recipes

Cooking

Mystery Seriesfor MontrealersThe Caitlin Donovan Series

Basil is good for cold & flu symptoms


gardeningmight be limited by the fact thatfor many people gardening is as muchabout building community as growingvegetables. At least that’s been the experi-ence of Julie Richard, coordinator of theCantaloupe Garden in NDG.“What we do here is a mix,” says

Richard. “We’re here to feed people but alot more to get people together. The firstreason people come back year after year isthe social aspect.”When the Cantaloupe Garden was

planted ten years ago behind the Hamp-ton Ave. YMCA, it was among the first of

the city’s collective gardens,which unlike municipal gar-dens are tended by a networkof volunteers who share theharvest with local food banks.It is now the largest in a net-work of six gardens and ahandful of backyard plots inNDG that subscribe to thecommunal approach.On the day I visited the

garden in early May, half adozen volunteers were divid-ing a 26-kilogram spring har-vest of Jerusalem artichokes,a pink-skinned tuber thattastes like a cross between a

radish and a potato.The volunteers I spoke to said that they

were attracted by the social aspect of thegarden, since it allowed them to meet newpeople, share their knowledge of garden-ing and take off on summer holiday with-out worrying that the garden was beingleft uncared for.One volunteer said he used to have a

city plot in Rosemont, but prefers to gar-den with a group because he is able tolearn from the techniques and experienceof others. “It’s a different energy being ina group,” he said. “I learned more on myfirst day here than I ever did at the city gar-den.”For Matthew Trowell, a technical writer

and illustrator who moved to Montreal in2004, the garden was a way of getting in-

volved in a community he knew very littleabout. He says the garden “brought (him)back to life.”“I left Toronto because it was an alien-

ating environment,” said Trowell, an apart-ment-dweller without a balcony or rooftopaccess. “It was a complete relief to cometo the garden, the most welcoming wel-come you could imagine.”Still, Richard maintains that the garden

performs an important social role in termsof what she calls “food security”: the ideathat a healthy society should know how tofeed itself, especially its poor and needy.She says that some of the volunteers

rely on the harvest for their sustenanceand that the annual surplus – which canamount to as many as three tonnes, or onethird of the total harvest – provides an es-sential service by supporting the NDGFood Depot.The notion boils down to the convic-

tion, shared universally by vegetable gar-deners and social activists alike, that atomato you’ve grown yourself is incompa-rably better than one from the grocerystore – in terms of the way it tastes and thegood it does for the community.

Stuart Woods is the assistant editor ofVivva Montreal.

simplified hydroponics to grow vegetablesin over 100 soil-filled containers: mostlyRubbermaid bins, industry-size pails andbarrels, even a repurposed plastic kids’pool. When it was active, the garden sup-plied the kitchen of Santropol Roulant, ameals-on-wheels organization that serves100 meals a day, five days a week.The technology is inexpensive, light-

weight and practical, and according toRotem Ayalom, an urban planner and thegarden coordinator, it has the potential oftransforming the city’s landscape.“We want to spread our experience of

turning unused space into productivegreen community space,” says Ayalom.“Anyone with a balcony or rooftop accesscould conceivably be growing their owntomatoes.”

Roots of urban agriculture

The birth of rooftop gardening occur-red in the 1970s when Montreal architectVikram Bhatt’s Minimum Cost HousingProject converted a vast 1,000-square-metre rooftop in the McGill ghetto into aproductive urban garden. Since then, a ro-bust network of community gardens hasdeveloped on the island, with an estimated10,000 gardeners making use of 98 city

gardens each year.The city gardens are so popular, in fact,

that waiting lists for new plots last five ormore years, a delay that was exacerbated atthe beginning of the year by the closure ofthree city gardens that were found to havecontaminated soil.One of the advantages of container gar-

dening, says Ayalom, is that you controlwhat you’re gardening in, since each con-tainer is a closed system. And unlikeBhatt’s rooftop experiment, which re-quired substantial modifications to thebuilding’s existing structure, one of Alter-natives’ lightweight containers can beplopped down pretty much anywherethere’s sunlight: at 70 to 100 pounds, atypical recycling-bin-size container is alighter load than a winter snowfall.

Ready-to-grow gardening kits

The system was developed after mem-bers of the Rooftop Garden Project foundthat conventional hydroponics was toocostly and involved for the average gar-dener, requiring a controlled environment,expensive fertilizer and an electric pump.The group began experimenting with

hybrid solutions and posting its findingson its website, which are nowcollected in a substantial, 80-page manual that includes in-structions on how to build atube-shape planter for a spiralfire escape.In 2005, they sold about

50 “ready-to-grow” gardeningkits designed for individualuse. Demand has sinceswelled: this year the grouphopes to sell 350 kits at $40 apop, slightly more than cost.The home kit consists of a

plastic container the size of acity-issued recycling bin andholds about 60 pounds ofcompost and potting soil (or substrate). In-terlocking panels at the bottom of the con-tainer create a reservoir, which can befilled by a PVC tube driven through thesoil. Substrate packed into the four emptycorners of the reservoir allows moisture topercolate throughout the container, main-taining an optimal level of humidity evenif the gardener leaves the container un-tended for several days.Ayalom says she grows tomatoes,

cherry tomatoes, groundcherries andherbs in a single container at home, butthat most kits are sold to organizationsthat want to establish community initia-tives similar to the rooftop garden.

Growing community

The popularity of household container


Container gardening simplifies urban gardens

Where to growTo buy a ready-to-grow rooftop gar-

dening kit stop by the Coop de la mai-son verte at 5785 Sherbrooke St. West.For more information call 514.489.8000 or go to www.rooftopgardens.ca.For more information on the Can-

taloupe Garden call 514.484.0223 or goto www.actioncommuniterre.qc.ca. Thegarden is located behind the NDGYMCA at 4335 Hampton Ave.The Rooftop Garden Project’s

demonstration garden is located on theMcGill campus beside the Burnsidebuilding (805 Sherbrooke St. West). Forinformation on volunteering at the gar-den call 514.982.6606 ext. 2278.

Ready-to-Grow kit


by Carola Price

People are often unsure what a som-melier actually does. There are so manydifferent types that it’s worth taking a peekinto the life of a sommelier. Maybe you’llfind it so exciting that a career change isin order. Or maybe you’ll find it so dullthat you’ll gladly leave the task of selectingwines to sommeliers.

Full-time wine experts

The first type of sommelier works foran establishment with a wine program. Heor she orders wine and cellars itaccordingly. Keeping an inven-tory of the wines in stock andnoting when each wine shouldbe drunk is a time-consumingprocess. While many restau-rants and hotels have wine lists,the client has no idea howmany bottles will be in the cel-lar at any given time. Well-known cellars such as Le Bistroà Champlain on Lac Massonhas over 10,000 bottles, somedating back more than 40years. They have more than onesommelier on staff, naturally, as mainte-nance, labelling and ordering in a timelyfashion is the key to keeping a cellar of thismagnitude.

Wine Spectator has made a sommelier’sjob a key role in obtaining the covetedGrand Award of Excellence. An establish-ment that wins the award is listed in themagazine and may also receive kudos in

an article.Wine Spectator is the publicationfor wine-lovers andmany readers seek outestablishments after reading about themin the magazine.

Professional wine geeks

At this point, you may wonder whysommeliers go the extra mile when allmost people want is to have some winewith dinner. It is because sommeliers arewine geeks who research and taste thou-sands of wines a year so that with theirguidance you can choose a suitable bottlethat makes for a truly pleasurable dining

experience.We sommeliers go to a lot of trouble,

from arguing with the boss for money tobuy a special vintage to placing private or-ders with SAQ wine reps and working ex-tremely long hours organizing wines on awine list in a way that makes sense to theconsumer. Arguments, or should I say dis-cussions, with the chef also play a key rolein how wine finds its way to your table. Ifit is meant to complement a chef’s offer-ing, then it is our job to deliver it to you.The long hours and low pay scale are bal-anced by the amazing food and wine thatwe get to enjoy.

The secret lives of sommeliers

Sommelier for hire

Private sommeliers teach wine courses,write wine articles and judge wine compe-titions. They also act as consultants andcreate a restaurant’s wine list withoutbeing permanent staff. They are called into tweak and train, often coming in for twoor three days once or twice a year. This isideal for medium-size restaurants thatwant to sell wine without all the fuss of awine program.Individuals can also hire a sommelier

to come into their homes and figure outtheir wine-buying options. The sommelierarranges cellar wines by grape, region, vin-tage or food match, writes notes and tagseach wine. The client is then able to enterhis or her cellar and immediately knowwhere to look for that special bottle.Youmay know someone who has a vast

wine room and a sommelier on hand, butin this day and age it is a rarity. The ma-

jority of people today have rudi-mentary cellars in their homes,and a sommelier arrangementmay help boost the pleasure ofwine drinking and increase wineknowledge.Whether buying wine for the

weekend or as an investment, youmay want a sommelier on hand tomake your wine-buying easierand more exciting. Sommeliersare constantly talking to produc-ers, reps and other geeks aboutwine, and drinking new products

daily. Nomatter the type of sommelier, ourjob is to help you find a wine for yourpalate that’s within your budget.

Wines for the budding sommelier

Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara Peninsula,Peninsula Ridge, SAQ#10745541, $18.95A delicious offering from an amazing

producer. Look for light gooseberry andgreen apple flavour while moving downthe throat with a certain richness and well-balanced acidity. Great to pair with fish ina light sauce, goat cheese and citruschicken.

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Zinfandel, Cline, California 2005,SAQ#00708677, $16.20This is a fabulous wine for the

BBQ. Pair the black cherry and straw-berry flavour with the sweetness ofBBQ sauce. Try it with grilled steak

and the pepperiness of the wine reallycomes out. Although high in alcohol andbold in flavour, it is well suited to a warmevening by the heat of the coals.

Carola Price is a sommelier and chef. Sheis a member of the Canadian Association

of Professional Sommeliers and theInternational Sommelier Guild. She can be

reached at [email protected].

So you want to self-publish a book?

Most self-publishersend up unhappy.• Flawed end-product• Inadequate editing• Too much inventory

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Price-Patterson Ltd.www.pricepatterson.com

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Peking duck in all its crispy glory

common with Western fast food than tra-ditional Chinese recipes. But if you getpast the deep-fried chicken balls andgreasy chow meins, you’ll find that fineand authentic Chinese can be had inMon-treal – but it’s not always had in China-town.

Soul food

A house specialty at Lao Beijing is asavoury and intense pork stew that smellsstrongly of cloves, cin-namon and anise. It’sserved in a copiouscasserole dish and un-ostentatiously ladledinto china bowls at thetable. The serving ismassive, the broth richand overwhelming –certainly not everyone’scup of tea, but not adish to quibble with ei-ther. Think of it as Chinese soul food.The food at Lao Beijing is notable for its

oversized portions, bold flavours and useof fresh though familiar ingredients (Chi-nese cabbage, eggplant, carrot and greenpepper, and pork, mutton and lamb in themeat department). It’s a recipe that has at-tracted a devoted clientele in three years ofoperation: the tiny restaurant of a dozenor so tables is regularly packed on week-end nights, filled by a din worthy of anychic downtown bistro. Like the stew, thecramped ambiance can be overwhelming– but it’s fun, too.

“Chinese fondue”

What brought me to Lao Beijing was itsreputation for elaborate Mongolian hotpot,known in French by the peculiar term fon-due chinoise. The course bears only a pass-ing resemblance to traditional cheese fon-due, however, which is to say that itinvolves an open flame at the table (in thiscase a rather bulky butane burner) and re-quires actually cooking a smorgasbord ofraw ingredients. Another noticeable dif-ference with Swiss fondue, where themost important element is a bubblingcauldron of cheese, garlic and white wine,is that here a redolent broth flavours theingredients but isn’t itself consumed (infact, it’s basically tap water with a powerfulspice mixture and some hot chilies: aharsh, unpalatable mixture on its own).Preparing the meal requires vigilance

and dexterity, since the various cookingtimes of the ingredients have to be bal-

anced with your desire to eat them. Onone end of the scale, flat glassy rice noo-dles take about ten minutes to cook andabout fifteen minutes before they start toget slimy; on the other end, prosciutto-thinslices of lamb can be taken out of themelee almost as soon as they’re droppedin. The assemblage is then mixed withsliced scallions, coriander and a sharp, bit-ter sauce of fermented soy and sesamepaste.When ordering from the bulky menu,

which lists 88 individual items, a rule ofthumb is to order any-thing with yu xiang, afiery sweet sauce thatmanages the delicatebalance between com-plex spices and tem-pered sweetness that isthe hallmark of fineChinese food. Chineseeggplant emphasizesthe spicy/sweet ten-sion, its appealing

flesh-like texture accented by tender ker-nels of ground pork. The yu xiang pork,meanwhile, is less intense though flavour-some, consisting of shredded meat lacedwith ribbons of shiitake mushroom.

Peking duck

At Village Mon Nan, menu items arewritten in Cantonese on bright colouredslips of paper that are posted throughoutthe dining room. This haphazard arrange-ment doesn’t bother the regulars, however,or even people like me who don’t readCantonese, because almost everybodycomes to the restaurant for one thing:Peking duck served in the traditional man-ner as a three-course meal.Technically, Peking duck is a plump

white-plumedmallard, precisely the breedraised by Knowlton-based Brome LakeDucks, Canada’s oldest duck-breedingfarm and a long-time Chinatown supplier.The Brome Lake duck you’ll find in

Chinatown looks a lot different from theBrome Lake duck you’ll find served in aFrench bistro. For one thing, the head isoften still attached. For another, the birdhas a reddish, almost lacquered, appear-ance, partly due to the manner in which itis roasted and partly because it is coated inmaltose.You can find a whole roasted duck in

Chinatown for under $15, less than youwill sometimes pay at a grocery store.The first course at Village Mon Nan is a

hearty ginger-spiced duck-and-noodlesoup, complete with Flinstonesesque


Authentic Chinese existsin Montreal

Where to goLao Beijing5619A Côte desNeiges514.731.8978

Village Mon Nan1098 Clark514.879.9680

drumsticks protruding from a large com-munal bowl that’s brought to the table.The soup is flavoursome, but it has an un-appetizing grey colour similar to dirtydishwater. But as comfort food the souphits the mark.The crucial course for Peking duck is

the second, since the bird’s crisp skin isconsidered a delicacy. (It’s also a gauge ofauthenticity: Western-style restaurants typ-ically serve large pieces of duck meat withvery little skin attached, like a slice ofthanksgiving turkey.) Apparently, the de-sired crispness is attained by pumping airbetween the skin and body, so that the birdis partially inflated before it is roasted.I can’t say what was going on in the

kitchen, but I can tell you that the skin wasappropriately crisp, served on a platter be-side sweet daikon and carrot salad, tassel-cut scallions and thin rice-flour pancakes.The fixings were wrapped in the pancake,dipped in hoisin sauce and eaten as a kindof burrito.After the fanfare of Course Two, it was

hard not to feel let down by Course Three,which was supposed to contain the re-maining duck meat but amounted to amound of stir-fried bean sprouts, onionsand only a handful of the prized morsels.I can’t imagine what happened to the

rest of the bird.Stuart Woods is the assistant editor of

Vivva Montreal.

A pair ofbooks toguide youthrough

Montreal’sdining

and barscene.


...support these community businesses...

...they help Rotary help others... ...support these community businesses... ...they help Rotary help others...


The Rotary Club of Westmount

by Mary Soderstrom

Say “mulch,” and I’m tempted to laughout loud.

The word begins with such a pleasingsound – that Mmmm! makes you think ofgood things to eat – but finishes as youhalf-swallow, half-cluck. The combination

Mulch ado about something

Gardeningis not what you expect and as Aristotleused to say, “The secret to humour is sur-prise.”But mulch as a concept is no laughing

matter. Environment Canada is forecast-ing below average rain this June and Julyfor the Montreal region.Just how much will fall, no one is pre-

dicting, but mulching your flower and veg-etable beds is worth it even if we end upgetting a good soaking rain or two everyweek.

Mulching basicsMulch means covering bare ground

with something that will cut down onevaporation of soil moisture. You can useorganic matter like wood chips or inor-ganic matter like small pebbles (for a listof possibilities go to http://hgic.clem-son.edu/factsheets/HGIC1604.htm).Mulch also hinders weeds from growing,moderates soil temperature, and cutsdown on erosion. Its only downside is thatwhen you water mulched beds you must

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HEATHER BORRELLIInvestment Advisor

1405 Trans-CanadaSuite 200

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Email [email protected]

Brent K. HusseyB.Comm., B.C.L., LL.B.

Avocat – Attorney

280 Dorval AvenueSuite 200Dorval QC H9S 3H4

514 636-4992Fax 514 [email protected]

What is Rotary?We all try to do good things, but our busy lives

often make getting through the day a successin itself. Our families and careers arerewarding, but how can wecontribute to the communityaround us?

In 1905, in Chicago,Paul Harris was happy withhis career but missing thefriendly spirit of the villagewhere he grew up. He invitedfour friends to his office and asthey continued to meet, theyrotated among their places ofbusiness. The first service club wasborn, Rotary. Today it is more than1,200,000 people in over 32,000 clubs in over

200 countries and geographical areas.The Rotary Club of Westmount, Montreal’s

largest Rotary Club, has a diverse membership ofmen and women, young professionals to

seasoned retirees pooling their talentson local and international projects.

The club is always on the lookout for new members who havethe heart and desire to helptheir community and theworld. Wednesday luncheonmeetings are at Victoria Hall.This can be a rewardingweekly break especially for

entrepreneurs or home-basedprofessionals.Learn more at www.rotary.org or

contact The Rotary Club of Westmountat [email protected].

...they help Rotary help others...

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Irene Woods, Directorwww.kells.ca

Wishing The Rotary Club of Westmountsuccess in all its endeavours in thecommunity, and around the world.


make sure the water makes it through tothe soil underneath.Drip irrigation – when water runs slow-

ly out of tiny holes in pipes or hoses laidjust under or on top of the soil – is the eas-iest way to do this. You can get a systeminstalled professionally, but soaker hoses– $15 to $25 at garden or hardware centres– are easy to snake back and forth acrossyour beds.Water only when the soil under the

mulch is dry, but let the water run for a

couple of hours, beginning early in themorning. Then you’ll forget about mulch’scomic aspects because you’ll be set tolaugh in the face of drought.

Mary Soderstrom is a Montreal writerwho gardens on a 25-by-100-foot lot in thecentre of the city. Her most recent book is

Green City: People, Nature andUrban Places (Véhicule Press). Contact

her at [email protected].

Mulch at work �

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For an appointment to view, please call

937-3943Manoir Westmount Inc.

4646 Sherbrooke Street WestWestmount, Quebec H3Z 2Z8

www.manoirwestmount.ca

a project of The Rotary Club of Westmount


...help Rotary help others...


AUCTION:Friday, June 1, 7 pm

and

GARAGE SALE:Saturday, June 2

9:30 am to 2:30 pm

Westmount Arena4675 St. Catherine West, Westmount

One of

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From a proud and grateful residentof

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by Michael St. B. Harrison

The word on the Street is that makingmoney in the stock market recently hasbeen far too easy. What with private equitymoney and corporate takeovers rampagingthrough the canyons and share buy-backsabounding, the markets have shown a verystrong tendency to the upside. But whatabout that old warning posted as a leaderabove? Should you as an investor be tak-ing money out of the game and preparingfor a long hot summer?We are all aware of the commodity

boom that has allowed the Canadian in-vestor to profit from escalating prices forjust about all the natural resources we pro-duce. We are also aware that the acceptedconsumer of our substantial mineralwealth is China and that this country is ona parabolic path to becoming the secondlargest economy in the world, and it does-n’t look to be slowing down. Or is it?

Money is tightening

The authorities in China are very wor-ried about a possible bust (they have hadseveral over the past fifteen years) and areworking to raise bank lending restrictionsand their central bank lending rate. Thesecombined measures are expected to ham-per the ferocious pace of expansion andslow down the economy.These central measures always seem to

take ten to fifteen months to really biteinto the statistical evidence, but the un-derlying momentum is already showingsigns of abating.Meanwhile, the world’s number one

economy has already cooled off, withhousing leading a downturn in expectedgrowth and the attendant lessening in de-mand for lumber, copper, aluminum andall manner of household goods. However,despite a modest up-tick in unemploy-ment, the specter of inflation will keep theFederal Reserve rate at its present level andmay in fact be raised to assist the US dol-lar recover from a long decline.Europe has picked up a lot of the slack.

The central authorities there are now rais-ing interest rates to cool down the ex-pected inflationary bias of this resurgence.They will not be alone in this historicallysuccessful maneuver to contain the evilsof rising prices and wages. It will be theslow and steady increase in regulated in-terest rates that will make the markets be-come restive and uneasy.The flood of money that was created

during the years Mr. Greenspan was at thehelm has washed around the world andcreated a massive supply of cheap creditthat underpins most of the exuberant ac-tivity. But slowly this abundance is beingdrained from the pool and rocky shoals arestarting to appear. The European CentralBank (joined by Mexico, New Zealand,Australia and the Scandinavian countries)has made it very clear they will be raisingrates. The UK has already done so and thenext step in Canada is presumed to be up,sooner rather than later.This forced reduction of money supply

will erode access to easy credit and reducethe activity of the leveraged buyout crowdand the so-called “carry trade.” This is theintelligent proposition of borrowing in acheap interest rate country and lending ina higher interest rate environment. Thisprocedure has been assisted by the verylow rates in Japan offset by burgeoningrates in Europe and, to the annoyance ofexporters, Canada as well.The risk, of course, is in the currency

deviations. Some of the complacency inthis comfortable trade will be removedwhen China moves its currency to ahigher level, which will be their next stepto curtail inflationary trends. This willhave a ripple effect throughout Asia andcautionary steps will be taken to unwindsome of the excessive manipulations.

The trend is your friend, but cashis like a warm puppy

These macro factors will prevail overtime, but markets should anticipate a spotof bother and will settle back to awaitingfurther news. It is my belief that a moreskeptical attitude toward risk is justifiedand a modest retreat to the sidelines willprove to be beneficial to an investmentportfolio.For well-diversified investors it has

been a case of an unintentional retreat tocash, as many core holdings have beentaken away and more may succumb to thehuge buyouts by the private equity ma-rauders. Inco, Ipsco, Dofasco, Four Sea-sons, and now BCE and Alcan may all gomissing in action with no comparable al-ternatives. My advice is not to chase lesserquality and enjoy the comfort of cash.

Michael St. B. Harrison is a retiredinvestment executive. He has been a broker,investment banker and trader in Montrealand Toronto, as well as active in companymanagement and the investment industry’s

self-regulatory agencies.

Sell in May and go away

Practical Points: Investing The Urban TownshipperEvents

� Bromont Horse Trials is an international-calibre equestrian event. For moreinformation call 450.539.5394 or go towww.internationalbromont.org. BromontOlympic Horse Park, 450 de Gaspé Rd.,Bromont. June 7 to 10.

� La Clé des champs de Dunham is aculinary festival showcasing local artisanproducers. For more information call450.295.2418 or go to www.ville.dunham.qc.ca. Dunham. June 9 & 10.

� Grand Tour of Lake Megantic is a familybike excursion that skirts Lake Megantic.For more information call 1.800.363.5515or go to www.tourisme-megantic.com.Veterans Park, Lake Megantic. June 10.

� Défi-vision is a car race where the driversare blind and assisted by celebrity co-pilots. For more information call450.375.3055 or go to www.autodrome-granby.qc.ca. Granby Autoroute, Granby.June 15.

� Windsor Paper Festival features a fashionshow with clothing made entirely of paper.For more information go to www.festivaldupapier.qc.ca. June 15 to 17.

� Summer Solstice Celebration. Celebratethe longest day of the year with a specialpresentation focusing on the importanceof the solstice to ancient civilizations. Formore information call 1.866.888.2941 or

go to www.astrolab.qc.ca. Astrolab, 189Parc, Notre Dame des Bois. June 23.

Theatre

� Sunshine Theatre presents The DrawerBoy, an award-winning play by MichaelHealey. For tickets call 450.242.2270. ArtsKnowlton, 9 Mount Echo, Knowlton. June1 & 2 and 9 & 10.

Arts & Crafts

� Printemps des artistes showcases localartists, artisans and cultural organizations.For more information call 819.583.4411 orgo to www.culture-megantic.qc.ca.Lambton. June 2, 10 am to 5 pm.

� Tour des Arts is a week-long event duringwhich local artists and craftspeople opentheir studios to the public. For moreinformation call 450.242.2270 or goto www.tourdesarts.com. Sutton,Mansonville, Knowlton. June 14 to 22.

� Ceramystic is an exhibition and sale ofwork by over 30 seasoned potters. Formore information call 450.248.3551 or goto www.ceramystic.com. Mystic. June 22to July 2.

� Arti-chaux is an arts festival featuringprofessional visual artists and craftspeople.For more information call 819.887.6093or go to www.tourismeculturedudswell.com. Dudswell. June 29 to July 1.

BRIGHAM – 84 ACRES Bright and spa-cious country bungalow with guest suite.Idyllic setting with woods, meadows andriver frontage. Enjoy spectacular sunrisesover the mountains, morning melodies ofbirds and evening cricket concertos. A per-fect topography for horses or vineyards,southern exposure. Only 1 hr. to Montreal.$349,000

TOWNSHIPS TREASURES

BROME – 148 ACRES Expect to be im-pressed by this million dollar view!! Fabu-lous country estate. Spacious 4 bedroomfamily home with main floor guest suite.Superlative hilltop setting with tennis,pool, stone terrace, meadows, sun-dappledtrails through the woods. Tennis anyone?$895,000

BROMELAKE–1ACRE. Acountry jewel.Elegant brick bungalow with 3 bedrooms,oak floors in living room, dining room andkitchen and brick fireplace. Gorgeous,light-filled interiors with nature viewsin every window. Small goldfish pond,garage. All that is missing is you. $219,000

SHARYLTHOMPSON(450) 266-6888www.sharyl.com

In appreciation of your patronage, I am pleased to donate aportion of my commission to your favourite charity.

Diamond Award(top 3% of Quebec Royal Lepage agents)


LakeChamplain’s

Islands & Farms:

They’re closerthan you think!For all your lodging, dining,

camping, swimming,boating and fishing needs,

call 800-262-5226or 802-372-8400.

We’ll “hook” you up!

Vermont’s ChamplainIslands and Farms:

Just acrossthe border!

www.islandsandfarmsvt.com

www.champlainislands.com

www.vtnortherntreasure.com

Music

� Jazz Week at the Asbestos Music Camp isa week-long series of professional jazzconcerts. For more information call1.888.834.4342 or go to www.campmuiscalinc.com. Asbestos. June 10 to 15.

� Orford Arts Centre presents a musical

program to mark the 150th anniversary ofBaudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal. Tickets are$35. For more information call1.800.567.6155 or go to www.arts-orford.org. Orford Arts Centre, 3165 Parc,Orford. June 22 at 8 pm.

� Pianist Anton Kuerti performs works by

Lois HardackerKNOWLTON3 Victoria

450 242-2000Fax: 450 243-0914

[email protected]

Eastern Townships Living by Lois HardackerChartered Real Estate Agent

BEAUTIFUL BROME LAKE is just an hour fromMontreal. Live in the country with easy access tothe joys of city life. Here’s a super building site with130 feet on the shore of the lake and an area of 1.9acre. $469,000

ECOLOGICAL TROUSER LAKE is just minutesfrom Sortie 106 of the Eastern Townships Au-toroute. Scenic and quiet, it is the perfect settingfor this charming year-round country house set onover an acre of landscaped grounds. $525,000

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS GATEWAY – One hourfrom Dorval, near Cowansville and Bromont. 23.75acres and a discreet site well off the road. 4-bed-room residence built in 2005 with excellent systemsand a special country appeal, inground pool.$599,000

SCENIC IRON HILL, renowned for its fabulous vis-tas, is just the spot for your country hide-away.High on a long driveway, this 3-bedroom home hasa special luminosity and a feeling of tranquility. 40wooded acres. $780,000

Queen Anne-style house on Lake Massawippi. Spa-cious and well-lit rooms with 180-degree views of thelake. Magnificent stone fireplace in the living room.Master bedroom on the 3rd floor with turret, sittingroom and private bathroom. Exercise room with show-ers. Family room in the basement with direct access tothe 88-foot private beach. $1.6 million. MLS #67610.Open House: Sunday, June 10 2 pm to 4 pmMonique Boudreau Affiliated real estate agent866-842-4114 – Groupe Sutton de l’Estrie

Courtier immobilier agrée

One ofhistoricNorthHatley’sjewels.

Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven and Czerny.Tickets are $35. For more informationcall 1.800.567.6155 or go to www.arts-orford.org. Orford Arts Centre, 3165 Parc,Orford. June 23 at 8 pm.

� Renowned jazz pianist Oliver Jonesand friends. Tickets are $35. For moreinformation call 1.800.567.6155 or go towww.arts-orford.org. Orford Arts Centre,3165 Parc, Orford. June 29 at 8 pm.

� Classical ensemble Grand Reunionsperforms works by Beethoven, Franck,Honneger and Weber. Tickets are $32.For more information call 1.800.567.6155or go to www.arts-orford.org. Orford ArtsCentre, 3165 Parc, Orford. June 30 at8 pm.

Celebrate the summer solstice at the Astrolab.

Townships Calendar

Soon in stores


BRIAN, TIMOTHY, JOAN McGUIGANAGENTS IMMOBILIER AGRÉES / CHARTERED REAL ESTATE AGENTS

TRUST. REACH. RESULTS.

Plateau Mont Royal Stunning, modern, open loft with3 closed bedrooms. Calling all artists or those with in-credible art – this space has ideal wall space with excel-lent lighting. 15 feet of windows on 2 levels. Locationideal for walking to all the hot spots. Asking $449,000

Virtual tour: www.mcguiganpepin.com/571631

Westmount Victoria Village beauty! Large 3-bedroom +den w/fireplace. Woodwork, architectural treasures. Ex-posed brick and decorative fireplace in living room.Planned kitchen has a pantry and adjacent mudroom.Deck, garage. Asking $695,000


Downtown Sun-filled two level 2300 s.f. penthouse apt.with large terrace overlooking Mount Royal. Top floorfeatures spacious entry, LR and DR, gourmet kitchen.Deluxe built-ins throughout. Quiet lower level bedrooms.Asking $849,000


Downtown Prime downtown location at the back of aquiet courtyard. This home offers windows on three sides,4+2 bedrooms – unusual amount of space needing agood renovator’s vision. Asking $599,000

Westmount You’ll love the original charm and spacious-ness of this elegant 4+1 bdr century-old home. 10-ft ceil-ings and ornate mouldings. Steps to library+park. 4.5baths, 3-car pkg, fin. bsmt. Offers invited. Asking$999,000


Westmount Renovated stone family townhouse next toWestmount Park. Finished basement with playroom, bed-room and bath. Central air, 2 car pkg, great neighbours...who could ask for more! Asking $839,000


Nun’s Island Lovely condo in Jardin de l’Archipel. 1465square feet offering wonderful views of the river. 3 bed-rooms, 2 baths, garage, central air. Asking $259,000

514-937-8383

www.M

cGuiga

nPep

in.com

Selling real estate in Westmount and NDGfor over 35 years.

L’immobilier à NDG et à Westmount :notre affaire depuis plus de 35 ans !

Westmount Prime Victoria Village location for a greatprice! 4+1 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, finished basementwith private entrance. Spacious entry and rooms, stainedglass, high ceilings, skylight, garden, 3 balconies, stickerparking. Asking $535,000


Downtown Quiet, hassel free living across from MountRoyal. Perfect one bedroom pied à terre in a prestigiousand elegant building. Parking, doorman and security.Asking $232,000


SOLD

june 2007 –v2.6 gardens create an edible cityscape · 2019. 5. 29. · june 2007 –v2.6 arts...

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