What do you do on a cool Saturday afternoon in the Fall? Take a drive out to Ancaster to check out the annual Ancaster Home Show. A few days back we received a coupon for free admission for a family of four to attend this year’s Fall home show, so we thought we’d check it out. We’ve got several updates to make to our home, including a new kitchen and a replacement roof, so this would be a good opportunity to research contractors and take a look at what’s leading the way as far as technology and designs for kitchens.

On your GPS – latitude, longitude: 43.189241, -80.040865

With the abundance of (free) parking there was when we arrived at about 4 pm (closes that day at 5 pm) I had a feeling that this would be a very small event and once inside that feeling was confirmed. I’m not sure how old this event is, but I think it’s fairly young. Which would probably explain why it’s a bit smaller than some of the other home shows we’ve been to.

To be quite honest, if we didn’t have a free coupon to get into this event I would be a bit upset if I had paid. If I were to make a guess I’d say there were about 40-50 displays and nothing really stood out except for the steam mop that Caron purchased. However I did connect with a school mate who was working with a display about kitchens, so that was a good connection to make. Now we have someone who’s willing to come in and give us a free consult on a new kitchen design for us. BTW, that consult is free to everyone who uses their services and not just for friends.

From memory here are some of the booths that were in display…

- Bathroom Fitter

- Pool, spa and gaming room.

- Steel roofing

- Knives (you won’t believe the prices

- A crafting booth

- Ladders

- Mortgage brokers

- Sun rooms

- The booth that sold the Smart Living Steam Mop

- Tile and Flooring

- Handyman / Contractors

There were a few more booths but they didn’t attract our attention and/or we didn’t make eye contact so we didn’t have to put up with the normal sales pitch. From the pics below you’ll get an idea how small the event was, the crowd flow and some of the vendors on display.

Final Thoughts.

A well set-up and run event that lacked more interactive booths, but for the price (free) it was not all that bad since I did connect with my friend who designs kitchens and Caron was amazed by the steam mop. This event can only grow since they seem to be working on marketing the event rather heavily  and it seems to be run by people who knows what they’re doing. When this event get’s bigger (yes, it will) parking may be an issue, unless there’s more parking at the rear of the build that we didn’t see (we didn’t look).

The highlight of the evening for me was the wildlife display they had of a beaver “Woody” and this was my first contact with a beaver in all my years in Canada…

Admission is $3 with free parking as mentioned above and the actual address for those of you not using a GPS device is New Ancaster Fairgrounds, 630 Trinity Rd at Hwy 2. I did a search on Google Maps for the address, using Ancaster as the city but it presented the address with Hamilton as the city instead, in the event you’re using Mapquest or Google maps.

BTW, this year’s event was/is October 16,17,18 so if you reading this today, you have till the end of the day to check it out.

I guess it really doesn’t matter if you go on a weekend or a weekday when you think most people will be at work. You will encounter a busy mall full of shoppers and be prepared for parking wars. With everyone wanting the close parking spot next to the entrance, it’s very easy to get frustrated. If only people would walk the extra few meters and use one of the hundreds of other parking spots provided… it would make for a much better start to your shopping experience.

If you’ve been to one mall you’ve pretty much been to them all and this was exactly the case at Vaughan Mills, except this one is a bit more grand and it’s fairly new. Plus you’ll find a lot more designer options and some of their last call or outlet stores. Such as Benetton, Armani Exchange, Banana Republic,French Connection UK (FCUK), LACOSTE, Tommy Bahama, Nine West, Hugo Boss,Tommy Hilfiger and Holt Renfrew to name a few.

Warning: If you think you’re going to this mall to take advantage of deals since there are so many “outlet” type stores, think again. It was very difficult to find any real deals, even though many stores were already into their “back to school sale” mode.

Food.

Again, typical mall food at the food court except there’s always a line no matter which spot you opted to eat at. The same can be said for finding a table and don’t expect the tables to be clean when you did find one. I know it’s only common sense that you clean up after you’re done at a table, but it would be nice to see more staff trying to maintain things. As a matter of fact I don’t recall seeing any staff while we were at the food court for about 45 minutes or so. The food court is the real heart of the mall, being very bright and airy though it does get crowded.

Maybe it due to the large volume of people/meals they cater, but out party had.. A & W, Taco Bell, Szechuan Szechuan (Chinese) and Sukiyaki (Japanese) and without a doubt they were the most terrible mall food we’ve ever experienced. Taco bell got our orders wrong and it was soggy, A & W was even more greasy than I recall, the Chinese and Japanese were just terrible! Both dishes were masked with some sort of weird flavour that was not what you would expect. Yes, I know this is food court food and much should not be expected, but when you pay $8-$10 a combo one should expect some consistency from the very same franchises you’ve had elsewhere before.

My sister and Caron were there getting some wedding accessories for my other sister’s wedding in September and our girls were there to get some back to school shopping done. All I wanted to do was window shop for a designer suit for the same wedding and finally get my chance at browsing “Out Door World”!

I guess I’ll be making another trip up the 400 if I’m to finally browse this mega outdoor store. Maybe the trick is to leave our girls at home or go to this store as soon as we walk through the doors of the mall. Again, they were finished shopping for their stuff and were “too” tired and started complaining about every known ache known to man. Head, feet back.. I’m surprised their hair follicles didn’t hurt! If you’re willing to pay normal rate for clothes etc, at least you have many options at Vaughan Mills. Indy’s only complaint was that there were no Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister!

For the men?

Besides having one of those Nascar type stores (didn’t go in since it’s not my thing, so I don’t know exactly whats in there), they also have these seating areas with an arena type (scoreboard) tv screens mounted so you can sit, relax and catch the game while your party shop. I didn’t take advantage at this chance to rest since all the seats were taken.. they didn’t look very comfortable though!

No real deals, parking wars, crowds and terrible food but I’ll go back. I have to.. Outdoor world beckons! Plu s I love crowds and like all shopping you must search for the deals.

Contact and Getting to Vaughan Mills Mall.

VAUGHAN MILLS MANAGEMENT OFFICE
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive
Vaughan, ON L4K5W4
Tel:  905.879.1777
Fax:  905.879.1888
info@vaughanmills.com

Directions:

VIA CAR
Just 32 km north of downtown Toronto at Hwy 400 and Rutherford Road.

HWY 400
Northbound: Hwy 400 North to Bass Pro Mills Drive exit.
Southbound: Hwy 400 South to Rutherford Road exit.

HWY 401
Hwy 401 to Hwy 400 North, Bass Pro Mills Drive exit.

HWY 407
Hwy 407 to Hwy 400 North, Bass Pro Mills Drive exit.

GPS COORDINATES
43.825486, -79.538978

REGULAR SHOPPING HOURS
Monday – Saturday: 10am to 9pm
Sunday: 11am to 7pm

MANAGEMENT OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm

View Larger Map

So what did you day yesterday? Besides making myself a little more broke, I spent over 2 hours in line with our the older girls in line to get into the yearly Lululemon warehouse sale that’s taking place this year in our hometown of Hamilton Ontario. Caron worked nights and Indy was just too lazy to wake, so it was me, Kieana and Tehya on a mission to snag some deals on the popular (don’t ask me why, cause it’s basic yoga themed gear) brand.

We went with the intention of having to deal with a line, but nothing prepared us for what was in store. Just about every teenage girl and their mom, young mother with buggy and trendy young adult was already there hours before us in line. Rather than complain and say “lets get out of here” I decided to make this a dad / daughters experience. After 1 hr in the line I had my regrets.

Getting into the event.

First you make your way to the end of the line, which was about 1 block away. (BTW we were told that there is no GOOD time to get to the event, as you will meet people in line even at 4 am) If you know the Hamilton area… you start at the corner of Bay and Main and work your way going east to the convention center. When you finally conquer the line and go through the main entrance of the convention center, you’re greeted with another line. You must “check” every bag, purse etc that you have with you. Then you move to another line where they give you a wrist band and you’re asked if you’re currently wearing any Lululemon merchandise. If you are, the guy with a marker puts the number of pieces on the wrist band they tagged you with. Then it’s onto another line where you’re (counted – one of those checker things) and the time that you enter is also written on the wrist band. If you’re at the checkout area to pay before 30 minutes you’re given an additional 10% off your purchases.

Some pointers..

* If you see something you like, hang on to it. Don’t you dare put it back on the rack and fool yourself that come back for it. It won’t be there when you return, even if it’s jut seconds ago.

* If you’re going in with the intention of getting a bag, be ware that the merchandisers drop off the bags at different areas of the floor without notice and there will be a shark feeding frenzy when they do. Keep an eye out and be prepared to pounce.

* If you’re paying by credit card, be sure to have a picture ID with you (see other payment options below)

The Good.

In the line – At least it was an overcast and relatively pleasant day, so we didn’t have to deal with sweltering heat and according to the security people, the line was moving much faster than the day before. Since there was tons of security there were no line jumping or any sort of disorder by the shoppers in the line.

Overall – very well organized. The sizes and costs are clearly labeled. There’s a colour code that dictates the prices so each item has a colour sticker that’s placed on the label. Just look around you on the walls and you’ll be reminded what you pay for which colour.

There’s lots of tellers to pay so you do move along very fast. They also limit the number of shoppers (thus the long lines outside) on the floor, so you’re not all that crowded.

The Bad!

In the line – The signs coming out of the event wasn’t promising. Everyone who were already in there were walking pass us with pretty much empty bags. Was there any “real” deals or were we wasting our time? makes you question the long time you’ve been waiting in line.

Selection – As mentioned if you see something you like, grab it. This is clearance so don’t expected much choice. smaller sizes are very limited (anything below 4). It can be a bit messy as well, with people dumping things they don’t want on the floor and corners.

Prices. even with the reduced rate, I really don’t buy into the prices they were still charging. But that could just be the parent in me. We spent about $550 or so and we walked away with 2 long yoga pants (thin version), 3 jackets, 2 head bands and 2 capri style pants.

Jerks! Seems the “jerk” comes out in us at these type of events. people will be pushy, bump into you and even hit with with hangers and not say sorry.

More info:

Hamilton Convention Centre
1 Summers Lane
Hamilton, Ontario
L8P 4Y2
tel: 1 877 263 9300

Hours / days

Thursday, July 23 9am-9pm
Friday, July 24 9am-9pm
Saturday, July 25th 9am-7pm
Sunday, July 26th 9am-5pm

Payment: Cash, Debit Visa, AMEX, and Mastercard- photo id required and please have your credit card pin number ready.
*No gift cards will be accepted.

Final tip. We were told by friends that the last day of this annual warehouse sale, one can get the merchandise reduced further. Is there any truth to this and will this be the norm again this year? Time will tell I guess.

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Gone are the days when on a Saturday morning the real “buzz” of Hamilton could be found at the farmers market in downtown Hamilton. I’ve been going to the market religiously since I emigrated to Canada many moons ago, but the past 4 years I’ve been forced to stay away. The culture the market once represented of this great city was gone and the once majestic location needed new life. Well it seems that I was not the only one paying attention, as a complete renovation is underway.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit the past 5 years or so and one of the norms when we travel is to visit the local markets in whatever new city or town we’re in. You won’t believe how much you can tell about a country or city, just from a quick visit to a market. And a visit to the Hamilton Farmer’s market is no exception.

Culturally you’ll be blown away at the representations of the different ethnic groups that call Hamilton (and Canada) home. From the Italian baked treats, to the wide selection of ground provisions found at Ms Tilly’s Caribbean stall, the fish section run by the South Asians, the pastries influenced by the jolly German lady, the fresh locally grown berries run by the Dutch family, the prepared vegetarian delights from India… culture to the extreme! And I love it!

Presently due to the renovations to the old location of the market, the market is relocated down the aisle way from the Sheraton Hotel and the Dollarama Store in Jackson Square and this move seems to have brought back life to the once prosaic existence.

Rather than try to convince you about how nice it is to visit the market now and all the wonderful things you can get here, I let some of my pictures tell the story. There is no place in Hamilton or the surrounding area where you’ll not only find the true vibe of Hamilton represented, but there’s no better place for fresh produce, fish, baked treats, flowers, cheese, deli meats and just about everything you’d expect to find at a farmers market.

History of the Market

The Hamilton Farmers’ Market was originally founded in 1837, at the corner of York & James Streets. Andrew and Mary Miller transferred a small parcel of land to the President and Board of Police of the Town of Hamilton, to be utilized specifically for a Market.

The Market has been in its current location next to the Hamilton Public Library since August 1980. The modern architectural design provides a mezzanine level and lower level, consisting of 176 stands and approximately 80 stallholders. All indoors!

The Market re-opened for business in April 2009 in its temporary location inside Jackson Square. It will remain there until the renovations are complete (Fall 2010). All stallholders are operating, and the hours are the same: Tues & Thurs. 7-6, Fri. 8-6 and Sat. 6-6.

Location:   2 King Street West
Jackson Square Mall, Phase 4
Hamilton, Ontario
Phone:     905-546-2096
Fax:     905-546-2829
Email:     farmersmarket@hamilton.ca

Hours of Operation

Tuesday:        7 am – 6 pm
Thursday:      7 am – 6 pm
Friday:            8 am – 6 pm
Saturday:       6 am – 6 pm

The Market is closed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Sundays and all statutory holidays.

Free Parking

One hour of free parking at the York Blvd. Parkade when the market is open. Take your parkade stub to the Market Office, show proof of your Market purchase, get your validation stamp and show it to the cashier when you exit the parkade.

Come out and support the local economy and enjoy the sights, sounds and taste of Hamilton.

As mentioned in a previous post, one of my favorite things to do in the Spring is go to all the garden centers in the area. A couple years ago a friend introduced me to Holland Park in Burlington and after one visit I fell in love with this place. After-all it was the only place I could find heirloom tomato plants… the absolute “best” tomato you will ever eat.

Seems the norm this year,  it was another chilly spring morning when we visited Holland Park. And the wind was something fierce so browsing the outdoor area was a bit uncomfortable. Hey! I could care less for the cold though I’ve been living in Canada for over 20 years now.

Rater than go on about how nice this place is or how well stocked it is, I’ll touch on a few areas that stands out as compared to my visit to “Terra Greeanhouses“. Both places do stand out when it comes to being complete garden centers. But where Terra takes the prize for the widest selection of potted plants, shrubs and hanging baskets, Holland Park makes up in the following areas.

- an amazing selection of tropical plants (see the wonderful Croton in the pictures below)

- garden ornaments and water features

- birding (food, water and feeders)

- hostas – I’ve never seen a wider selection

- a huge selection of high end garden furniture (very pricey.. we saw loungers priced at $1500 and above)

As I ventured outside (I brave the cold to bring you the reviews) I was awestruck at the wide selection of perennial and annuals, especially when I hit the vegetable and herb section. I assure you, this place stocks the widest selection of herbs I’ve ever seen in a garden center (the pic below is just one of the sections of herbs available) . However this year I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get my precious heirloom tomatoes. What I did find though were Habanero plants, those blazing hot peppers that’s the base for all spicy Caribbean dishes. Nice strong plants similar to ones I remember my dad growing when I was a kid. But like everything thing else at Holland Park, they were pricey.

You get what you pay for? Maybe this saying is true for Holland Park, but I still think that they’re overpriced when compared to Terra Greenhouse and more-so if you compare them to smaller nurseries that sprout up every spring. Don’t let the price keep you from visiting… even if just for a browse. Grab a cup of coffee and reserve some time to take in everything. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be agape by what you see.

Departments include:

annuals, nursery,
perennials, vines & roses
bag/bulk goods
birds
fertilizers & pesticides
floral
fruits vegetables & herbs
lawn care
patio furniture
tropical plants & pot flowers
seeds & accessories
silks/everlasting flower
statuary/pottery
tools & accessories
water gardening

Locations:

Burlington
2243 Fairview St. (905) 639-7740
Mon. – Fri. 8am – 9pm
Sat. & Sun. 8am – 6pm

Dundas
294 York Rd. (905) 628-8562
Mon. – Fri. 8am – 9pm
Sat. & Sun. 8am – 6pm

Without any doubt, Spring is my favourite season of the year. After a long harsh winter, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday morning than grabbing a large double-double from Tim Hortons and heading to a garden center. Just so happens, that last weekend we were at Terra Greenhouses in Waterdown and I brought my camera along.

Terra is known for being a bit higher priced than the garden centers that pop-up every Spring at each corner, but the quality and selection of plants you get at Terra Greenhouses is way superior. Mind-you there’s just some things that I can’t justify paying for at Terra, so I take the window shopper approach.

Terra Greenhouse is your one-stop location for all you’ll ever need to make your outdoor living space just as comfortable as your family room.

Looking for ideas for that water feature you wanted to add to your outdoor living space?

How about some evergreens or shrubs to add a bit more personality to your yard?

Did someone say Tropicals? Without a doubt, Terra stocks the best selection of indoor tropical plants in Southern Ontario. This year they have a advertising campaign centered around these massive indoor lemon trees. Just wished I took a couple pics to share with you. However I did get a nice pic of a Bougainvillea.

Some info…

Hours:

Saturday – Wednesday 9am – 6pm

Thursday & Friday 9am – 8pm

Address:
#8 Fifth Concession E.
S.E. corner on Fifth Concession at Hwy #6
(3km north of Clappison’s Corners)
T: 905.689.1999
F: 905.689.1770

Departments at TERRA

Perennials
Pond Life
Lawn and Garden
Greenhouse
Gifts and Decor
Birding
Outdoor Living
Nursery
Annuals and Bedding Plants

More info… Daisy Club
Every dollar you spend is another Petal Point in your Daisy Club Member Account and is our way of thanking our loyal customers for their continued business. Use your Daisy Club Card every visit to collect points.

To Redeem your Petal Points, simply visit the Daisy Club Kiosks at any TERRA store. Print out your Daisy Dollars and present it to the cashier with your purchase. As a valued and loyal customer, our Daisy Club Members program let’s us thank you for your business.

As long as go with the knowledge that you will find that the prices are a bit higher that non specialty garden stores, you’ll love shopping or browsing at Terra Greenhouses.

Here’s my mini review of the Sutton Place hotel in downtown Toronto. Last winter we took the girls for the weekend in Toronto to do some Christmas shopping, so we we gassed up the mini van and hit the QEW. We had reservations at the Sutton Place which was recommended by a friend, who said that it was centrally located and offers good service. We really didn’t have need to test most of the services that were offered by the hotel, except for the porter, valet parking, concierge and check in attendant. All tops in their respective duties I must add. Shopping does take a toll on my body, so it was a welcome relief to hit that bed at night.

Hotel info:

The Sutton Place Hotel

955 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  M5S 2A2

416.924.9221  Fax 416.924.1778

Toll Free Reservations 1.8663.SUTTON (1.866.378.8866)

We had booked one of their apartment type suites, that’s located on the upper floors of the hotel. If I remember correctly, I think our room was on the 29 floor. Excellent view if you’re nosy (tons of high end condos surrounds the hotel).  Our suite came with 2 bedrooms with queen size beds, 2 bathrooms (one with bath), kitchen, dining area and full living room/ den. I’m always concerned about 2 things when I stay at a hotel, the bathrooms and the beds/bedding. Both passed the test, except the bed was a bit to hard for my liking but Caron and the girls loved it.

Couple bathroom Pics..

What a great location for what we wanted to do. Not even five minutes walk and you were on the subway and there were tons of great shopping with 5-10 minutes walk. And how could I forget that wonderful Chinese restaurant where I got that amazing Generals chicken.. it’s half way between the hotel and the subway line. Please don’t ask me the name, I was hungry and tired!

Some pics from our balcony…

Except for the hard beds, lack of pillows (quick call and we had tons) and the hot water tap in the shower that seem to be doing it’s own thing after you’ve set it, I would gladly recommend this hotel to anyone. With the subway close and not to mention area attractions (see below), shopping and dining so close, it’s great for that weekend trip to Toronto. We didn’t have time to visit their business center or pool area so I really cannot comment on those  things.

I believe it cost us a couple hundred dollars a night, but for a family of 5 we consider that very reasonable for what we got. Mold free bathroom, clean bedding, a great view, very roomy and a full functional kitchen (with dishes etc).. you can’t go wrong.

Area attractions…

• Molson Amphitheatre: The Molson Amphitheatre is located on the former site of the Ontario Place Forum. The Amphitheatre’s sound-delay system allows patrons on the lawn to hear as well as those in the reserved seating, while two large-screen video walls allow those in the rear and lawn sections a closer view of the performers on stage .  .  . [more]

• Hockey Hall of Fame: Largely due to Sutherland’s convincing arguments claiming Kingston as hockey’s birthplace, the CAHA and the NHL agreed to establish a Hockey Hall of Fame in that city. In a meeting held September 10, 1943, Kingston’s mayor, Stuart Crawford, was elected president of the newly-established Hockey Hall of Fame  .  .  . [more]

• Ontario Place: Ontario Place is an internationally acclaimed cultural, leisure and entertainment parkland located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The complex extends throughout three man-made islands along the Lake Ontario waterfront. Ontario Place opened in May 1971 and featured a five pod pavilion complex, The Forum, pedal boats, a marina, restaurants and the world’s first permanent IMAX^® theatre, the Cinesphere  .  .  . [more]

• Roy Thomson Hall: Roy Thomson Hall opened in the fall of 1982 and has hosted hundreds of world-renowned artists over the years .  .  . [more]

• Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts: Hummingbird Centre is Toronto’s only mainstream civic theatre in the heart of the downtown entertainment district, it is the largest performing arts venue in Canada with a capacity of 3,200 seats .  .  . [more]

• Air Canada Centre: Home of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and Toronto Raptors (NBA)Air Canada Centre has earned its place of distinction along Toronto’s skyline, and in the hearts of sports and entertainment fans from all over the world .  .  . [more]

• Princess of Wales Theatre: The theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. It is named in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales .  .  . [more]

• Rogers Centre (SkyDome): Formerly known as SkyDome, the venue was renamed the Rogers Centre February, 2005.  Home of the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and the Toronto Argonauts.  Roger Centre facility’s capacity ranges from 5,000 to 60,000 for sports events, concerts, family shows, trade shows and conventions .  .  . [more]