Old Montreal, Montreal

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Bonsecours Market Is and can't miss sight In Old (port) of Montreal. It's 17th century Building Is an unmissable sight there.
There are about 15 Boutiques inside as well there are Restaurants inside.
They sell all kinds of stuff such as jewery, Art, Antiques ect.
Prices vary and I can not give you any pricing as I have not purchased anything there.
Also they have different arts and crafts exhibitions that are free admission.

Situated in Vieux Montreal, down by the river, the Marche Bonsecours certainly is one of the city's most impressive buildings with its silvered dome and imposing frontage. The present building dates back to the mid 19th century when the then Municipal Council commisioned it as a public market with meeting rooms. It was briefly home to the Canadian Provincial Government in April/May 1849 whilst the Parliament was temporarily homeless after Tory rioters burnt down the Sainte-Anne Parliament Building. By all accounts the Parliament sat with the building protected by bayonetted troops!

From 1852 to 78 it was the seat of the City Council during which period it was extended for use as a concert, exhibition and banquetting hall.

The building continued as a farmers and public market until 1963 when economic factors brought about its disuse.

In the 1990's the building was restored to its original grandeur, firstly for the 1992 350th anniversary of the city and later as once again a market place.

What to buy: The market area is on the ground floor but is no longer a farmer's market, instead comprising various upmarket boutiques and restaurants. This was all a bit upscale for me but makes for a pleasant enough wander around and you can oooh and aaaah at the prices!

What to pay: $$$$$!

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All along the cobblestone Rue St. Paul est, you can find shops, galleries and restaurants. You will also find the very large Marché Bonsecours building that has several shops inside. Along this route is a very nice wine store with lots and lots of wine related items. It makes for an interesting shopping experience.

What to buy: Clothing, Paintings, Sculptures, Jewelry, etc.

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Well, this is a decent Farmer's market if you go early and you love to cook. Unfortunately, on travel, you don't get an opportunity to cook your own meals unless you rent an apartment (flat) or house to stay in. I did buy a few things that we don't come by too easily such as maple hard candies and Turkish Delight.

What to buy: Meat, vegetables, fruit & cheese

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As you head down through the Old Town, you cannot miss seeing the Marché Bonsecours. This very substantial building, dating from 1847, once housed the Canadian Parliament, but also has served as the Montréal City Hall before becoming the main markets for Montréal for over a century. Now it has been renovated and houses restaurants and upmarket shops selling a range of collectable, fashion and tourist-related products. I’m more attracted to things like newsagencies, camera and hardware shops, but looked in vain for one while Pauline happily chased souvenirs. The website link below has a listing of the shops currently there, should you be proposing a visit.

I considered putting this tip under “to do”, but finally decided that the main activity is shopping. Frankly, as far as the building itself is concerned, the outside is where the architectural interest lies: the interior has been fitted out with the shops in what appears to have been an empty shell (photo 2) – though I understand the upper level is fitted out with rooms.

What to buy: Collectable, fashion and tourist-related products

What to pay: Let's just say this is not an arcade of discount shops!

As luck would have it, our visit to Marché Bonsecours coincided perfectly with the semi-annual Grande Braderie de Mode Quebecoise held in the lower level. Carol, being the consummate clothing shopper and expert bargain hunter, tells me that this is a genuine "event-not-to-be-missed"!

What apparently happens is that twice a year many of the local fashion designers offer their original designs for sale at greatly reduced prices. The atmosphere is somewhere between a carnival and a bazaar with a lot of scurrying for the best deals and loooong lines at the fitting rooms.

Carol was successful at buying a really nice jacket directly from the designer at a price that she assures me was a "steal".

What to pay: Advertised as 50% - 80% off the original price

There are several souvenir shops along St. Paul Street and also on Notre Dame Street... you can find all kinds of stuff there (t-shirts, sweat shirts, keychains, maple syrup, post cards, etc.), a little pricey, but it looks like they're all the same everywhere... The advantage is that there are several shops gathered around the same place, so you can see a lot of them without walking too much.

What to buy: Souvenirs of all kinds!

If you love Christmas (as I do) watch out for this shop! Stepping in to this boutique and seeing all those cute Christmas decorations is a serious threat to your wallet. The high prices are the only reason I didn't empty this store out in a minute =) The decorations also make for a nice souvenir.

What to buy: Check out the electronic Santa doing abs...!

What to pay: As you could expect in a small, specialized boutique like this the prices are not too low