Where is that corner store – what we call a “dépanneur” here in Québec (short form, “the dep”) where they sell hard liquor and have cigarettes still on display?
Here dépanneurs can sell beer, wine and cider, but nothing harder, and while cigarettes remain a mainstay, they are no longer on public display.
I’m somewhere between kj and pj. I don’t particularly enjoy shopping, and don’t shop with friends except at Jean-Talon Market (a public market in my neighbourhood that is also a popular meeting place) but I do scout out sales. I never buy jeans at full price, (I’m fine with buying plain, dark ones at Reitmans) and watch the sales at Simons, a chain that started in Québec City and has spread to Montréal and our suburbs, and now across Canada. They have beautiful clothing, but it isn’t the cheapest; however they have good sales. They have some nice skirts (not too short), this spring. I’ve also had luck with kijiji and other local online sellers.
No, I’m not obsessed with the cannabis issue, in real life I’m far more involved in environmental and housing issues. And cats, obviously.
In some central Mtl neighbourhoods (not just the downtown core) a new generation of small businesspersons have reinvented the corner shop or convenience store with better quality products, including locally-made items and better food. To a degree this means gentrification, but not always; there is a tiny greengrocers around the corner from me that also sells food items other than fruit and vegetables. And one can buy a single tomato or potato! This is a great saving for singles, as we are inclined to waste the end of bags of produce, no matter how careful we are.
Livia is in full in-and-out mode; the weather still isn’t very nice so while she wants out, she doesn’t stay out for very long!