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shopping

The saying, "Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry," may not ring true for customers of the revamped Provigo that opened its doors in Montreal at the start of June. The Kirkland store is part of a $5.6M pilot project introducing gourmet food stations, including a pizza and poutine bar, among other options.

Shoppers can now enjoy ready-to-eat foods from a variety of counters while they shop, including fresh-made paninis and lobster rolls from a dedicated sandwich bar and ten types of pie from a pizza station. Each one is baked in a stone oven before your very eyes. You can pick from a range of sushi and poke bowls and visit a large dessert counter to round out your mid-shopping meal.

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If you love to buy in bulk and stock your pantry with items that can last for months, then you're in for a treat. A new Costco catering to businesses but open to all members opened in June in Anjou. Around 70% of its products differ from traditional warehouses, many of them so massive that you may need to recruit a few friends to help you get them out the door.

The new Costco Business Centre specializes in large format items for restaurants and grocery stores. That means over 134,000 square feet dedicated to jumbo-sized food products, commercial kitchen wares, and office supplies. You'll find 200-litre vats of cooking oil, 36-kilogram wheels of cheese, and 16-litre buckets of most sauces you can imagine.

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CF Fairview Pointe Claire is officially welcoming its very own Simons coming spring 2022 and the store is hiring a bunch of employees. It will be the West Island's very first Simons location. The popular department store already operates in downtown Montreal and the Galeries D'Anjou.

In a Facebook announcement posted on January 24, Simons shared its opening and hiring plans. "In addition to putting the finishing touches on this spectacular new store, we are currently forming the team that will give it its warm and one-of-a-kind personality," they wrote.

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Some high-profile Americans are taking advantage of Canadian border rule changes.

Sutton, Quebec spokesperson Isabelle Capmas confirmed to MTL Blog that Bill and Hillary Clinton were spotted in at least one store, kitchen accessory boutique Atelier Bouffe, in the Estrie town's centre on Wednesday.

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Montréal centre-ville has announced that its massive annual sidewalk sale, La Sainte-Catherine célèbre, is set to return this year after taking a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19.

This means you can expect Rue Sainte-Catherine to be blocked off for merchants and pedestrians between September 10 and 12.

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Most apartments in Montreal have a certain reputation. Charming spiral staircases in spring become ice-covered treks by winter. Once-amusing wonky floors make you feel seasick, and your landlord still hasn't replied about the hot water problem.

If you're a longtime Montrealer or someone who is calling the city home for the first time, consider this an intervention. It doesn't have to be this way!

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Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault has announced a series of new rules for Quebec shopping malls and stores during the holiday shopping season.

As of December 4, measures to limit capacity will be tightened and there will be an increased police presence "in certain places, particularly at times that are known to be very busy," Guilbault explained.

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In a press conference on December 1, Premier François Legault warned residents that "if hospitalisations continue to increase" it would be "difficult" to "risk" family gatherings this holiday season in Quebec.

The government will share its official decision on gatherings by December 11, but it's already planning tighter restrictions in other areas.

As the shopping season reaches its peak, Legault promised "new rules for malls and big stores in the coming days."

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From Christmas tree shopping and visiting holiday villages to Black Friday deals and trying Fruit Loop waffles, there's a multitude of things to do in Montreal this weekend.

The snow has officially made an appearance in Montreal and by the looks of it, it's here to stay. Living in the 514, we should be used to seeing the beautiful and cold snow that surrounds us for so many months.

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The holidays are a time for buying gifts for our loved ones and coming together. Luckily for us, local Quebec merchants gift us with so much talent and creativity to not just show our family and friends we love them, but to show local businesses, too. 

Idée Cadeau Québec is a website dedicated to vendors from all over the province. The company opened in 2009, but buying local has never rung more true.

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The 2020 online shopping experience is a huge blessing.

From the comfort of your own home (scratch that — your own bed), you can buy everything you want and need.

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Services in Montreal are in abundance. From amazing food delivery to great shopping, our little island has got you covered.

However, not many people realize is that you can get just about everything you need from the comfort of your own home. There are so many unique companies that offer at-home services that you most likely didn't know about.

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