I’ve been talking with a few landlords over the past few weeks and they have all told me that this year, the phones are ringing less and people are taking their time in choosing.

My current landlord, who owns two other apartments, told me his phone barely rings at all for the 2 places he has for rent. And when they do arrive to visit, they say they like it, but will think about it.

He has the same apartments for rent last year and he claims the phone wrang off the hook. People were willing to sign right away. Some putting considerable pressure on my landlord to sign right then and there.

What he has also noticed is that the amount of scams has increased considerably.. The favorite of course being someone from Russia claiming to be moving to Canada. They send over first month’s rent but it’s a cheque for $10,000 and promptly claim they made a mistake and ‘would you please return the rest’… Of course the cheque then bounces.

If you are looking for an apartment for July 1, have you noticed that there is more choice and that you have more time in choosing ?

The funeral march from Griffintown to City Hall took place this afternoon. Complete with dogs, babies, musicians, speakers and a coffin, the protest drew upwards of 150 people. Have a look through the Flickr album to see the townspeople in action. The decision is slated to be made at City Hall tomorrow evening, and hopefully, a glimmer of hope will dawn upon the evolution of our fair city.

The Griffintown development issue sure is on everyone’s mind, these days. In brief, Griffintown is now a hot topic for Montreal. It’s a great up-and-coming area between University and Guy (some say all the way to Georges-Vanier) from Notre-Dame to the waterfront. Imagine a bustling and friendly new neighbourhood right south of the downtown core. Unfortunately developers have come in and are keen to make it into another short-sighted Dix30 eyesore, fraught with gigantic condo buildings and big-box stores, alienating residents. This decision was taken with no real public consultation whatsoever.

There will be a march to from Griffintown to the Hotel de Ville organized this Sunday April 27 at 3pm starting at the horse palace at 1220 Ottawa, down by the canal. I personally, have never been one to rally for causes, deferring to other more zealous individuals to fight for common beliefs. However, the Griffintown cause is one that affects all of us in this city, and more importantly, I’m convinced that the strength of the people actually might just make a difference. So if you’re interested in keeping Montreal beautiful with well-thought out urban planning and attention paid to those of us who love and live in this city, come join us on the march!

Sites of interest:
Save Griffintown
CSRG
Facebook event

Help support the cause!

Well… what a day! The Habs won last night. One step closer to the cup. So much joy and a great reason to celebrate, but of course, human nature dictates that people shouldn’t just feel joy and happiness, but they must also disturb everything around them through senseless riots. What’s wrong with tasers? Nothing. It’s just people.

Next, we have a possible shooter at the Cegep du Vieux-Montreal according to American authorities. The school is closed and the doors are locked. All measures for prevention seem to be paying off since nothing has happened yet and hopefully, nothing will happen.

Like I said, what a day!

Next game, Thursday!

Montreal is in a hockey frenzy with the Canadiens starting the playoffs tonight against Boston. As winners of the Eastern conference, this is one year where bringing home the Cup may be more than a die-hard fan’s pipe dream. Even for those not usually into hockey, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement. All over town, fans are displaying their Habs flags. It’s pretty clear what most of the city will be watching tonight.

I remember the last time the Habs brought home old Stanley’s Cup. I was still in university taking a summer course and I managed to convince the prof to let the class out so that we could all go over to Sherbrooke and watch the parade. I say we’re overdue for another champion parade. It’s time. Bring it.

It’s annoying for anybody who want to go through the stairs, but it’s nice to see everybody enjoy nature.

According to an article in La Presse, Gaz Metropolitain has discovered that they need to dig 40 holes along the Main.

I’m speechless. After everything The Main has gone through in the past two years. What all the merchants and citizens of that area have gone through, it’s unimaginable that Gaz Met has just woken up to realize that they now need to rip the street open again.

Unbelievable.

Ladies, it’s that time of year again. Time for the National Women’s Show taking place this weekend at the Palais des Congrès. Running Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s a showcase for any type of vendor or organization you can think of. Interested in taking some pole dancing lessons? Check. Looking for some eco laundry products? Check. Want to try some organic yogourt? Check. You can even get your photo taken on a Harley. Or get a picture of your aura taken. The best part is all the free samples. I don’t know about you, but I love free stuff. I don’t even care what it is but if it’s free and you want me to try it, heck, I’ll give it a shot. Speaking of which, the chocolate shooter cups with coffee liqueur were really good. Entrance fee is $12 but you can get a 2-for-1 coupon that makes it all the more worthwhile when you take into account all the food and product samples available. If you go, wear comfortable shoes and don’t dress too warmly or else you’ll get hot and tired. I also recommend taking a break by sitting and watching a show. Quite an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon with your girlfriends if I do say so myself. Pictured here is my gift bag (a reusable tote) with all my goodies.

I’m not usually one to promote events happening at Dawson College, but this one is pretty interesting for all of you who are into photography (you know who you are).

April 22nd at 6:30 you can meet two Olympus professional photographers, Lou Manna and Judy Herrmann. I’m personally interested in seeing Lou Manna who is a food photographer, that’s something that I’d like to learn more of and get into one day. I plan on being there, contact me if you’d like to meetup beforehand.

The event is free and open to the public, plus there will be a raffle with prize of an Olympus E-510 Digital SLR camera. Nice.

Check out the posters below for the details.

Earth Hour takes place tomorrow (Saturday) night at 8:00 p.m. In case you haven’t heard, Montreal is one of the participating cities that will be turning off the lights for one hour as a symbolic gesture to counter climate change. For those who wish, it’s also possible to sign up to pledge your participation.

As for yours truly, although I think it’s a noble cause, I have tickets for a show on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. I’m hoping that they won’t be turning off the lights at the theatre. Otherwise, we’ll have to spend an hour imagining what they’re doing on stage. I’m pretty energy-efficient most of the time so I don’t feel guilty about not taking part. Saving energy for one hour doesn’t make a difference if you spend the rest of your life wasting it.