Seasonal Activities

Parks Canada is more than just parks.  The agency also takes care of historical sites like the Sir George-Étienne CartierNational Historic Site.  The site, located in Old Montreal, is open to tourists and locals alike.  And, if you are looking to do something different during the lead up to Christmas you may want to consider a stop in to the site.  Up to the 23rd of December you can experience a Victorian Christmas at SGECNS. 

After you have done the Victorian Christmas style you may want to consider another tradition.  Many in Québec do what is called a Réveillon.  The tradition involves food lots of it.  It's done twice the night before Christmas up to and past midnight or after church and on New Years eve.  Along with some known favorites like turkey, mince meat pie, or toutière as it is called is served.  Wine and or champagne is also consumed and yes gifts are exchanged.  It's a different way to do Christmas.

Also going on in the city and worldwide is Hanukkah, known as the festival of lights.  The tradition of lighting the Menorah a nine branched candelabara that is lit during the season which begins as early as late November and as late as mid December has begun.  The real fun though is seeing how kids react to things like a Christmas tree or treats during Hanukkah.


A big tradition is to go to the ballet and see the Nutcracker.  Each year Les Grands Ballets puts on the show which is a real treat for big and small kids alike to see.  This year the show runs from the 13th to the 30th of December.

Of course there are many different traditions celebrated during this time of year.  No matter which one you partake in I hope you enjoy time with friends and family.

C. T.

Watch The Birdie

In the past I have mentioned that Montreal has lots of trees and parks to explore.  In the city as well as the surrounding areas those who enjoy birding can find many spots to view many species.

Birding Montreal is a good site to begin looking into birding in the Montreal area.  The site is very useful in terms of information about places to photograph birds, equipment needed and links to other sites that are connected to the birding community.

The closest I came to birds was building a bird house in the wood shop at Dawson's Boys Club in Verdun.  So to say I know something on the subject would be a stretch.  No matter what level you are at when it comes to this unique hobby Birding Montreal can help you find some nice spots to see birds in they're natural habitats.

Cliff T.

Plant Grow Hug Tree

When I was dating my wife in high school I often saw her hugging and talking to trees.  Yes talking to the trees.  At first I thought she was a bit nutty for doing so but, after doing some research I learned that it was not a bad idea to talk to plants and trees.

Today we live on a street which is lined with trees and in the back a huge Apple Tree towers over the house, it's got to be at least 60 Ft, 15m tall.  It is a beautiful tree especially when it is in full bloom.  In the winter it looks pretty nice when it has snow on it.

I found a blog that is written by Dr Paresh Prashant Phalak, from India.  He is promoting the idea of tree planting.  Specifically the idea of planting trees that are native to a specific region.  Other topics on the blog are about the ecosystem, climate change and water.  All concerns for many people around the world.  The blog appears in Canada as http://giftingtrees.blogspot.ca/ which probably indicates that while written in India it's meant for Canadian and world viewing.

Though not a blog http://www.givetreegifts.com is still another stop on the web that you can make.  Here you can find lots of green ideas to share in the form of gifts, including trees.

Another way to go green and put a smile on someones face is to have a tree planted in they're name.  Friends of Trees will do this for anyone in the world.  Last but, not least is Memory Woods.  The organization plants trees on crown lands, essentially land owned by the government on behalf of Canadians.  The lands in question are near Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario.

The list of sites on the subject of tree and tree planting is extensive, the above list are just a couple I found that I think are good places to start reading on the subject.  As I mentioned I live on a street that has trees on it, I have also lived on streets with no trees at all on them.  I have to say I prefer the ones with trees on them much nicer.  Oh and if you feel inclined hug and say hi to a tree it really is not such a bad idea.

Hey you know you can comment and let me know what you would like to see posted here on Mixed Nuts.  The blog features blogs and some websites and a focus on Montreal.  Drop a comment and let me know what you would like to see posted here.  Ciao for now

C. T.

Montreal's Orange Julep

You know there are some interesting eateries in Montreal.  One I have never been in though is the Orange Julep.  This restaurant has been around since 1932 and the giant orange ball itself has been up since the 60's.    I remember seeing it as a kid on the way to elementary school in the Town of Mount Royal.

Hamas Gibeau built the giant sphere hoping to actually live int it with his wife and kids.  Could you imagine having to explain that to your school chums.  "Is it true you live in an orange?" ya I live in a giant orange."  I do not know how appealing that would have been, sorry I took a bunch of punny pills before writing this.  But, the drink and the food from what I hear is appealing.

The restaurant is open 24/7 in summer and in the winter they have reduced hours.  The cool part is that patrons can still order food and the famous juice and eat a picnic tables or in they're car.  Plus if you are a fan of cars they do have mini car shows there during the summer.

Now that I have talked about it I guess I should go there, lol.  I wonder what is above that restaurant.  Could it be a giant store room filled with oranges?

Oh ya, you may want to go there, the address is 7700 Decarie..  By public transit it is on the Orange line, how cool eh?   The station stop is Namur, bus routes 17 and 115 go by the Julep, the stop you would get off at is Pare during the day and if you have a craving at 2 am busses 368, 369 and 371 are the routes to take.  For more info on getting there by public transit visit stm.info.

C. T.

Pro & Anti BSL (Breed Specific Legislation)

Recently in Montreal a dog named Wicca was killed by the city.  The five year old Pit Bull apparently bit two people.  Fortunately the injuries to both were minor and required no trip to the hospital.  The problem is that the city of Montreal has given low level civil servants with no experience the right to have animals destroyed even if the incident is minor.  If a dog or any other animal appears dangerous it's a sure bet in this city it will be killed.

Animal control is a serious problem in most major cities and towns.  And, many have taken to the ideal of Breed Selective Legislation.  These laws are intended to protect the community.  The debate is very heated and sharp.  There is no denying that some dogs and other animals do attack humans.  The control of them is the question that needs to be addressed.

Both sides in the debate regarding BSL make strong points.  To give you an illustration of how passionate the debate is.  Here are two sites one pro and on anti BSL.

The anti BSL site is stopbsl.org the counter to it is www.dogsbite.org.  The two sides are locked in a duel of sorts not to mention the public relations battle they are waging.  For the record I have no pets and I do think the idea of controlling pets has merit but, like anything else balance needs to be what people strive for.  Not all dogs in a specific breed are bad, not all owners of dogs are good and not all legislation is well thought out.  And, as for the people who administer such laws, they are not always the best or the right people for the job.

To get an idea on my take on this issue visit my other blog Four Eyes One Internet and read the entry titled Going to The Dogs Cats and Other Animals.

C. T..

Bowling

I was not nor ever have been a sporty type of guy.  Yes I am a geek.  Computers, the net, ham radio and for a long time a collector of trivia books and books on and about combat especially related to World War 2.  I did do some physical activities.  Namely biking and bowling as a teen.  I was no pro though I do think on hind sight I could have gone pro as a bowler.  The biggest event I won was for a beat your average tournament.  I took first place in the junior category male.  I actually beat some very good bowlers.  I was supposed to go to Italy but, that never happened.  It seems some hanky panky went on in the back rooms.  Me thinks I beat someone who was a shoe in a la fix.  Then again I don't know and never will.

I got a nice big trophy for my efforts, which after many years fell apart.  It was a nice big one too.  Silver with black base and plaque on it with my name and the date and the proclamation that I won the Alitalia Tournament.  Outside of that I was not that great a bowler.  But, for that one time I was tops.  In one weekend of the 3 weekend event I rolled close to two turkey's, bowling lingo for 3 strikes in a row, yes I almost made 6 strikes.  That is not an easy feat.

Many regard bowling as an easy thing to do.  Actually it's not.  Bowling requires good upper body strength, specifically in the arms, good hand eye coordination and the ability to gauge the level at which the lane is at so as not to under or overthrow the ball.  The idea is not to kill the pins but, to knock them down.  

That in mind here are some blogs that may give you an idea on how to bowl as well as who the key king of the pins are in the world of bowling.

The Bowling Tree is a bog about the goings on in the pro world of bowling as well as a few other things bowling related.

The Bowling Blog is a blog that is similar to the bowling tree.

Bowling for little people, well not really though some might think that is what five or duck pin bowling is about.  Wrong, unlike it's bigger brother five pin features just that five smaller sized pins and the balls are smaller too, in fact they have no holes in them like the ones used in ten pin.  Check out Five Pin Bowling Canada.  The site explains this form of bowling and also includes articles about the five pin bowling scene in Canada.

You can also get tips on how to bowl at http://howtobowl-hoemoetjebowlen.blogspot.ca.

For more on bowling and in particular some interesting facts click to everyone's favorite site GOOOOGLE!!

C. T.

Montreal And Pro Wrestlng

I remember watching wrestling matches at Dawson's Boys Club in Verdun, a suburb of Montreal.  I do believe Andre the Giant made an appearance there one time.

Wrestling has been pat of the Montreal culture for  many years.  Other stars included Maurice and Paul Vachon the Butcher and the Mad Dog.  The IWS, (International Wrestling Syndicate) had a full roster of wrestlers.  Beef Wellington, Franky The Mobster and Sexxxy Eddy just to name a couple.  Today the NCW,  (Northern Championship Wrestling) provides the excitement, it's no WWF but, it is not bad either.  Some of he stars in this league include Alextreme, Mobster 357, Mr Cobra and That Guy.

Now I have not watched any wrestling since I was a kid.  The closest I came to being a part of the WWF scene as an adult was when my niece's dad who had a thing for wresting with my little sis after watching WWF matches on the tube.  Goes to show that this sport is very interactive and does tend to bring out the wild side of people.

Oh and just so we keep in theme here I am also throwing a link in to the history of wrestling in Montreal.

C. T.

The NCW does have a main site, in French it is http://ncw.qc.ca/index.html

Gumball Machines R Us

There is a little mall near my mothers place that I pass through quite often, in the front entrance gumball machines, a stack of them with a variety of gumballs in different shapes and sizes sits.  I think there is also one or two other machines in the mall, nearer to the back entrance and in front of one of the stores.  I mention this because I found a website that is totally devoted to gumball machines and the gumballs and candy they hold.

http://www.gumball-machines-r-us.com/ is a great place to find a machine and also the candy and gumballs that you would need to fill them with.  The site itself is very well done.  Easy to get around, the user can shop by price type or size of the machine and type of confection they want to put into the machine.

Now I am no expert on gumball machines or the candy, I just like to eat the stuff when I do drop some coins into the machines, which is rare these days.  But, I do know what I like in a site.  And, I do like this one for it's simple ease of use, layout and colours.

Happy surfing!

Cliff T.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens have a new GM.  Marc Bergevin, his job includes a tall order to bring the habs game up quite a few levels so that the team can once again hoist the Stanley Cup over they're heads.  The team has won 24 cups in it's history the last time the team won the cup was during the 92-93 season.  It took them five games to win the cup and it was against the L.A. Kings.  What is interesting is just how close the games were.  With the exception of the first and last game which oddly enough the score was 4-1, the first going to L.A. the last to the habs, all the others were one by a single point.  Talk about cutting it close.

Montreal is largely a hockey town.  The Canadiens are the team to watch here in the city and even for those not interested in sports, like myself, the team's wins and loses are a topic for conversation.  Though for people like me that chat is usually very short as I have no clue about the sport today.  However as a kid, it was always game on during each Saturday as CBC broadcast Hockey Night In Canada.  I would glance at the tube once in awhile but, never did get into the sport.  My thing was and still is radio.  Though even there things have slightly changed.  That is a tale for another day.

Even though the season is done for the red, white, blue one can still get a dose of the Canadiens by visiting the site they have online.  The Montreal Canadiens website has all of the things a hockey fan could want on it.  Enjoy.

Cliff T.

Derelict - Montreal's Tech Death Metal Band

First and foremost lets be clear, I am not a fan of the genre.  But, you have to admit death metal does have some appeal.  The attraction is in the instrumentation of the music.  Death metal is not easy to play much less sing as the voice is pushed to the maximum due to the growling angry tone that underlines the music.  One band here in Montreal seems to have really done it's homework.

Derelict, Montreal's Technical Death Metal band really has it's act together.  I have to admit even though I am not a fan of the genre, as mentioned above, I was impressed at the disciplined way the music comes across.  It almost sounds like controlled anger mixed with chaos blended with musical skill.  Check them out I think you may find yourself taking a closer look at the band and the music.

Cliff T.

The Montreal Casino

I just finished posting a Candid Conversation with a pro Handicapper from Docs Sports and thought well since I am touching on the subject of gambling I may as well set a link to a Montreal landmark of sorts.

That landmark is the Montreal Casino.  It's been around for quite some time and it does continue to be a draw so to speak for those looking for a chance to win big..  The site is operated 24/7 and features the usual games, slots and of course food and I think some entertainment for guests.

As mentioned in the Candid Conversations post one should not bet if you can not afford to lose the money you plunk down.  That said to find out more about Montreal's casino and the others that are located in Quebec you can start by logging onto the Montreal Casino site at http://www.casinosduquebec.com/montreal/en/home for English and for those looking for the French version click this link, http://www.casinosduquebec.com/montreal/fr/accueil

Cliff T.

Metro FYI via Montreal BY Metro

Montreal Metro today, 4 lines 68 Stations

One of the most interesting sites I have found and visited on a number of occasions is Montreal by Metro.  I have seen the site develop and it's really well done.  Matt the creator of the site has built a reputable site with lots of interesting information for those visiting the site to take in.

People visiting the site can learn such things as the depth of each station, distances between stations and usage by passengers per station.  You can and will find out the dates each of the lines were constructed in and the respective extensions for each line on this site.  It's just an amazing site and I am impressed with how Matt has developed it.  Did I say I was impressed with how it has been developed?  OK good just want to make sure I have that down.

Thus far it is probably the most comprehensive site on the Metro that I have seen.  And, yes it's also done in French.  So if you live in the city or plan to visit the city of Montreal probably one of the sites you would want to check out is Montreal by Metro.  Enjoy the ride.

Back in the day so to speak Montreal had a 3 line system with 26 stations as reflected in this map

C. T..

Parks, 17 Large Ones In Montreal

A couple of years back my friend Paul came to Montreal for his usual summer visit.  One of the things he and I did was to go up to Mount Royal.  The mountain is the most well known feature of the city and this includes the park and Beaver Lake.  Mount Royal park is just one of 17 large parks in the city of Montreal and when I say in the city I really mean in the city.

What are some of the things you can do in the parks?  Well you can snowshoe, feed birds, ride a bike, have a picnic and after all that relax under the shade of some of the various types of trees.  There are medium and smaller parks in the city and you can find these by going into the sites for each of the boroughs.  Note that there are  cities on the island that are not a part of the city of Montreal and you will need to look them up on google.  To make it easier for you to find the parks in Montreal that are not listed in the main site I have included a map of the boroughs and the reconstituted cities.

And before  I forget the link to the large parks site is, as mentioned, part of the city of Montreal portal site you can visit it by clicking here.  The site lists all the parks and info related to them.  Most of the documents that are downloadable are in French only.  For the boroughs of Montreal click here.

Happy surfing!

Cliff T.

Ricardo

Global has changed it's show line-up in the afternoon somewhat.  The news cast that was once on at 5:30 moved to 6:30 in Ontario, Montreal and the Maritimes.  The rest of the country still sees the show at 5:30 PM in the respective time zone they are in.

Here in Montreal Ricardo airs.  So who is Ricardo?  A chef, a very interesting chef.  He cooks up some really cool dishes.  The show is produced here in Quebec, in fact in the Montreal area.  Some of the things I have seen him do include.  A desert Poutine, deep Fried veggies and of course lots of interesting drinks.

Besides the show Ricardo does have a website and the address on the web is http://www.ricardocuisine.com/en for English readers and http://www.ricardocuisine.com/fr for French.

As we see in French bonne appetit.

Cliff T.

Montreal's Farmers Markets

Concerns about food safety have prompted many to look to local sources for food.  One avenue that Montrealers have to gain access to local foods and other goods is via the markets in Montreal.  There are four markets in the Montreal area.  They are Atwater, Jean Talon, Maisonneuve and Lachine markets.  Each is unique yet all carry some of the basics that people need.  The most common are fruits and vegetables, cheese and baked goods.

You can find the complete list of items sold at each market at the http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com website.  Written in both French and English the site also provides hours of operation for the markets and other information that is quite useful, including what is sold season by season.

The Montreal Markets are interesting places to visit whether you live in the city or are from out of town.  They in many ways are one of Montreal's best tourist sites as well as a great place for locals to get fresh from the farm goods.

Speaking of interesting places blogs and cool places related to Montreal are what Mixed Nuts is about.  Drop a note to me at cjames5a@gmail.com if you would like your blog or Montreal hot spot listed here.  Thanks for coming by.

Cliff T.