I had the honour of visiting The Depot Community Food Centre - formerly the NDG Food Depot…read moreyesterday and getting a better idea of all the incredible programs being developed and run through this powerful community hub, and then shared whole heartedly by this passionate organization with other food security organizations around Montreal and around the country. Currently located in a former restaurant, the space which they open to the public for community dinners and emergency food box pickup is incredibly welcoming. There are picnic tables outside, small tables and chairs, a welcoming front desk, and a kitchen buzzing with volunteers. Being here truly makes you want to spend more time here. Twice a week this incredible space offers a free community meal to anyone who shows up - literally anyone. They do not ask people to present proof of income or anything like that. The goal here is truly to build community and to break isolation and to forge links between all members of our local Montreal community. The meal that is served showcases recipes that can be made using the exact ingredients made available in the emergency food baskets, so folks come for a meal, pick up their baskets if they need one, and then can get help from a variety of other practitioners including social workers, legal aide, folks who can help with meal planning - these days they are even helping people register and get ready to vote! The best. The chef here helped develop the menu at Damas so volunteers are learning from a very gifted pro, and the community at every level is being treated with love and respect, and respect for good food. There is so much more going on here, including hundreds of kids getting afterschool snacks, hundreds of families growing food through community gardens managed by the depot, intergeneration meals, cultural cooking, good food markets, and just so much more. I'm excited that Yelp will be doing more to be involved with supporting this world-changing organization in the future, so Yelp Elites watch for that, and everyone go check them out and see if there are ways that make sense for you to get involved. Because this is the good stuff.

Every year, my foodie group and I, volunteer at Moisson Montreal by giving some of our time and…read morehelping out with general tasks around the warehouse. This year, 27 of us, spent our afternoon sorting through goods and boxing up cans to be distributed to over 230 local food banks. Moisson Montreal is Canada's biggest food bank and basically collect goods from supermarkets and through donations to redistribute to the local community. They are one of the top 10 charities in Canada for being able to multiply their donations, meaning for every dollar received they give back 15$ in donations; that's huge! They have a very welcoming and friendly staff, and they always make my volunteering experience fun and rewarding. Can't wait to do it again!

Mission Nouvelle Generation (MNG) is an organism that aims to fight poverty. It is primarily a food…read morebank, but also offers certain services like garage/bike/auto repairs and has its own thrift store where you can buy a mix of new and used goods (clothing, toys, furniture, toiletries..). My family has been volunteering here for the past few months. If you, or someone you know on the South Shore is struggling to obtain basic necessities like food, then MNG is a valuable asset. For a very modest price of $10 or $15, you can get an entire shopping cart full of groceries. Lots of healthy options: fruits, vegetables, dairy, breads, canned goods, even deserts and meats. Families don't walk away with just a box of goods, it is literally a whole shopping cart overflowing with food, they are very generous. They even host special donation drives for back-to-school events (in August, you could get very cheap school supplies, books, backpacks, etc), and there should be a special event around Christmas too. A lot of donations come from supermarkets and big chains (Costco) all over the city. Daily donations pour in, pallets and truck loads of food that is still perfectly edible. Sometimes food and items are donated just because their packaging is dented, or missing a label. Food that is not fit for human consumption is shipped off as animal feed. If you do not need the services of a food bank, but want to donate your time, money, or any material good that could be useful for families, I strongly recommend MNG. The place is run by both volunteers and employees- it is such an eye opener when you see all the things supermarkets no longer want on their shelves, and how much it can benefit those in need. The people working here are passionate and those who benefit from the services are so grateful. What a great place! This is my best discovery of 2020.

Every time I went somebody tried to sign me for welfare, even though I am/was an American, people…read morewith the staff here and other places too kept telling me to try either way. Oh and a better idea of a friendly social family dinner than I ever witnessed before, ample options so much so you might question why (and how, as an American the idea is not possible of course) a shelter gives the best homemade food. Staff eats the same food. Staff eats with you during interview. Staff does not evangelize religion in code. Staff speaks French and English and Franglish er Franglais. I politely said I did not want to try for welfare and health care (provable I did not want to go that far, except for dishwashing and Tapaj's paid work day jobs, free money felt too much to ask, I ultimately mostly just appreciated the exceptional standard of free Social support) even though I already got Temporary Refugee status with a Free Insurance Doctor's Visit (fact-checkable I actually tried and got official papers) by just saying my name just from being referred by a shelter before.

Victoire aka Chien Chaud Victoire. This is one of the best poutines in the area. Hotdogs are good…read moretoo, which is a "Montreal" style hotdog. If they ask you how you want the hotdogs, you answer "All Dressed". I'm giving this place 5 star for the value and the quality of food you get. Service was good as well, they were kind even though I didn't speak French. Only thing I regret is that they are closed on the weekend.

O.k. this may not be everyones cup of tea. Especially since we're all on the 'eat healthy" kick…read more But it's Friday and my vice is fast junk food. EXECLENT at this place. I had the classic 2 steamies (hot dogs) a fry and soft drink. The steamies were steamed just right, the bread fresh and soft mmmm. If anything, and this may sound stupid, the fries were too good. Yup, too good. Fresh cut, golden, crispy on the outside with a clear taste of a real potato. Why do I say "too good"? I was expecting the classic re-fried potato thats black on the outside and full of grease. Great lunch. Quick service, and cheep. PS. As I'm woffing down my calorie ridden lunch, a healthy looking lady is having a vegetarian meal. I wonder if she was envious of my flavored packed junk food?

We will never deal with this company again. They sent a weird, rude driver to pick up the wheels…read more He was furious, yelling, and cursing at us because he couldn't find the place, and we weren't able to answer his calls. The driver's name is Aymen Ebrahmi. He has some kind of attitude issue. When he left our shop, he said 'F*** off' to us. That's how this company trains its drivers to treat customers. I am going to post some videos soon

Package arrived fast 2 days from trois-river to GTA and in great condition. Driver was friendly…read more Nothing to complain about.