Keep Your Receipts, You Have A 1 In 10 Chance Of Winning Purchases From Downtown Montreal

Twenty-five percent of Quebecers said they were planning on starting their holiday shopping on November 1, according to a survey by the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail.

This possibility seems even likelier in Montreal right now with the recent spurt of spring-like weather. And don't forget about free weekend street parking either!

If you're shopping in downtown Montreal, here's a pro tip: keep your receipts. 

Editor's Choice: Quebec's Retail Council Released Stats On When & How Locals Will Shop For The Holidays

$250 Winners will be reimbursed up to this amount for purchases made downtown

Shoppers who submit receipts to La Société de développement commercial (SDC) of downtown have a 1 in 10 chance of winning the value of their purchases up to $250.

To play, you simply log on to the "Win your purchases" website and download your bill onto the platform. If you win, you'll be reimbursed.

The contest is part of a $100,000 investment by the SDC, developed with the Borough of Ville-Marie, to support downtown businesses and restaurants and drive traffic there, says an SDC statement sent to MTL Blog.

"Hard hit by the crisis we are going through, we want to remind customers that it is necessary, especially with Good Friday, Cyber Monday and the Holiday Season approaching, to shop local," said Emile Roux, director of the SDC downtown.

For a refresher on what's considered downtown, you can check out this handy map.  

But note the campaign covers all purchases made in the extended downtown area between Atwater, Saint-Urbain, Sherbrooke and Saint-Antoine.

In addition, the SDC says 1% of the value of purchases submitted to the contest will be donated to the Fondation Jeunes En Tête, which supports youth mental health.