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October 28-30, 2016 | Westin Bayshore Hotel | Vancouver, BC
Nearly 600 brokers, managers and owners came together to celebrate our 40th anniversary in Vancouver, the city where it all started for CENTURY 21 Canada!
Featuring renowned real estate coach & NY Times best-selling author, Tom Ferry. Plus, enhanced networking events, hands-on education, & more!
It was a great opportunity to interact with our fellow System members on the official Facebook page and enjoy the best Canada Conference yet! Next year it will be in Quebec City. Can’t wait to see all my friends and colleagues again! Brian and I had an amazing time, albeit short but hugely successful.
November 3rd, 2016
Highlights of Century 21 40th Anniversary Conference in Vancouver
Posted by Joan McGuigan
August 1st, 2014
Terrific Moving Tips When Moving Your Home
Posted by Joan McGuiganWho can’t use some moving tips when they’re packing up their whole life for a new home? If you’re among thousands of people who have picked up and moved their family to a new home or a new community, you have fresh memories of some of the ups and downs or thrills or frustrations of moving.
Drawing from recent personal experience, I know there are lots of ways to help make your household move easier and more smooth. Read here for help to get your life, and your possessions, organized for a peaceful and exciting move.
Make a list.
Write everything down! You’ll thank yourself later. Before you pack even one box, create a simple record keeping system. Create a computer-printed list of numbers with a space to write the contents. Or have a spiral-bound notebook for the job. You’ll place a number on EVERY box you pack and list the contents on your list. Don’t put the list down unless it’s in a place you’ll call Packing Central. This is where you’ll find your labels, marking pens, box tape, and other supplies. When describing the box contents, be specific — “A-D files” is better than “files”, and “Tulip dishes” rather than “misc. kitchen”.
Have plenty of supplies.
You’ll need LOTS of boxes–probably more boxes than you think, and having enough boxes will make your life easier! (If you buy your boxes from a moving company, you can always return unused boxes for a refund. If you got them free from the grocery, just toss any leftovers.) Have about 10 boxes set aside to use for last minute items on moving day, such as bedding, clothing, and cleaning supplies. You’ll need strong plastic packing tape to close up the boxes securely. Use unprinted newsprint (newspaper can stain your items) or packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap and cushion household good. Return any unused supplies after the truck is packed.
Utilize wardrobe boxes.
These tall boxes are perfect for bulky, lightweight items such as comforters, pillows, and blankets, as well as clothes that need to remain hanging. Call your mover to ask the width of the wardrobe boxes they’ll be bringing. Then measure the clothes in your closets (including coat closets) to see how many wardrobe boxes you’ll need. You can also use them for closet storage boxes, shoe boxes, and other bulky items such as fabric bolts, large baskets, or gift wrap tubes.
Strategize wardrobe box use.
Moving companies will be happy to deliver boxes ahead of your moving day. Or if you’re doing the move yourself, get things organized as early as possible. A few days before your move, fill some sturdy handled shopping bags with bulky closet items such as shoes, sweaters, belts, and jeans. On moving day, fill the bottom of the wardrobe boxes with some of the shopping bags, then add your hanging clothing. Pack hanging items tightly so things won’t move around and fall off of hangers. Finally, cover the shoulders of your clothes (a dry cleaning bag works well), then add a few purses or sweaters on top. You’ll have fewer boxes, and closet items remain together. Also, the shopping bags will make it easier to retrieve your belongings from the bottoms of a tall wardrobe box.
Color coordinate.
Designate a color for each room in the new home, such as yellow for kitchen, orange for dining room, etc. Apply colored stickers on the box near the box number. In your new home, put a matching sticker on the door to each room. The movers will know where to put everything when they arrive at the destination. It’s also helpful to post a big sign on the wall in the room where you want boxes stacked, (“Boxes here please”) to keep them out of furniture and traffic areas.
Happy Moving!
July 12th, 2013
Spending a day in Hochelaga Maisonneuve
Posted by Joan McGuiganDecember 12, 2011 ─ With expansive green spaces and loads of attractions surrounding the Olympic Park, the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district (that’s “HoMa” if you’re a Montrealer) is filled with cultural, historical, and natural treasures. Like most of Montréal, this area is safe and can easily be navigated by foot (sporty types might want to jog around the Olympic Park following this path). Whatever you’re into, you can count on HoMa to deliver. An Olympic Morning You can begin your day by visiting the Olympic Stadium. Built for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, the Stadium is the Olympic Park’s centrepiece, a bold design by French architect Roger Taillibert. Take the funicular-type elevator to the top three observation floors of the Stadium’s inclined tower, the tallest of its kind in the world, and you’ll get a spectacular view of the city. The athletic centre below the tower contains seven aquatic pools as well as a multi-sport facility. You can also check out the nearby Montréal Biodôme (formerly the Olympic Velodrome), which was converted to house five ecosystems of the Americas and includes over 4,800 animals from 230 different species and 750 plant types. An experienced nature interpreter will accompany you on a journey that takes you through a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian woodland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and, finally, the Sub-Antarctic Islands. All this under one roof makes for an incredible experience. A Museum Mansion To view one of city’s most notable examples of Beaux-Arts architecture, head to the Château Dufresne. With plans based on the design of the Petit Trianon in Versailles, France, Parisian Jules Renard built the structure between 1915 and 1918. The Château Dufresne was a private mansion owned by the Dufresne brothers, two important members of Montréal’s French Bourgeoisie, and was originally divided into two separate households for each brother. Today it is a museum dedicated to the history of Montréal’s east end. The building boasts an interior decor painted by artist Guido Nincheri and is testament to some of the tastes of the Roaring Twenties. Nincheri’s workshop, the oldest extant stained-glass studio in Québec, is located at 1832 Pie-IX Boulevard, just four blocks south of the Château Dufresne. An Afternoon Garden Delight With an extensive collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, 10 exhibition greenhouses, and several thematic and cultural gardens, the Montréal Botanical Garden is a wondrous haven of beauty and tranquility, and, incidentally, is one of the world’s largest and finest repositories for all things grown from Mother Earth. For a truly unique experience, make your way to the Asian grounds. At the Dream Lake Garden, an authentic Chinese garden inspired by the private estates popular in the southern Yangzi River region during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the spatial organization of the pavilions, the selection of plants and minerals, the use of water features, and the contrast of yin and yang are all expressions of the secular principles of the Chinese art of landscape design. Meanwhile, at the Japanese Garden, serenity is achieved through compositional balance. Each tree, shrub, and stone has been carefully chosen and placed, with every item holding symbolic significance. The pond, along with a series of cascades and springs, for example, expresses life and renewal in a deeply poetic manner. Botanical Bites and Boissons To complete this one day jaunt in HoMa, partake in the Botanical Garden’s refreshing summertime spin on the Happy Hour formula, which occurs right on the Garden’s terrace. Botanical cocktails inspired by the colours and species of the Garden’s cultivated plants, as well as tapas, seasonal local fare, and relaxing live music all contribute to this unique appreciation of the splendid setting. Cheers, to you, for a day well-travelled! View comments [0] Add comment This article has not been commented on yet.
April 10th, 2013
Hochelaga maisonneuve
Posted by Joan McGuiganttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Discover-montreal/Neighbourhoods/Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
June 22nd, 2012
“Our clients are going places…..
Posted by Joan McGuiganWell-known Montreal artist, Susan Pepler will be showing her new collection of vintage cars in Knowlton
“As many of you already know …
I have a thing for sparkling vintage cars, especially the ones from Cuba.
Happily for me, my clients love the paintings of them. As they’re just about sold out,
I went back to Havana recently to find some more. What I love about these giant gems is …the joyful colours and incredibly creative designs, their unbelievable endurance, and amazing strength and stamina…”
One of my clients liked them so much she purchased two. Do go and see her exhibition.
featuring New Cuba Cars and Florals
July 21st and 22nd 10am – 6pm
BROME COUNTY MUSEUM
130 Lakeside
Ville de Lac Brome
Quebec, Canada
These incredibly gorgeous gems will look stunning in many of the vintage houses we have for sale at www.mcguiganpepin.com. Here is a link to Susan’s website. www.sussanpepler.com
May 18th, 2012
Good to know …
Posted by Joan McGuiganBlog article – Exterior paintingFrom summer issue of CAA Quebec magazineBlog article – decks and patios
April 27th, 2012
A tribute to Family Businesses published by Westmount Examiner
Posted by Joan McGuigan
March 26th, 2012
Buying your first Condo?
Posted by Joan McGuiganBuying your first Condo
Click on link: to read the article about “good things to know
when you buy your first Condo.”
Taken form the spring 2012 CAA magazine
February 28th, 2012
Benefit to Westmounters’
Posted by Joan McGuiganA new 38 million dollar eco-friendly recreation center has been approved by the city of Westmount. It will include a 10 meter underground skating arena, probably the first in North America, tennis, swimming pool; toddler’s pool and parking lot for approximately 80 cars, nearly double the present capacity.
Westmount property values should remain strong and may even increase as a result of this 1st class undertaking.
February 16th, 2012
News – Westmount Science Camp for Kids
Posted by Joan McGuigan“In partnership with Westmount Sports and Recreation, McGill University, the Redpath Museum and Westmount High School, Westmount Science Camp will open its doors and labs on July 2 for campers ages 6-13.
The camp will offer a wide array of fun and exciting science for kids. Real science with top of the line equipment, facilities, science professionals and volunteers will be available and our goal is to provide the kids with an unforgetable science experience which may assist them in their choices towards a science career in the future. Or just provide them with a lot of fun!
There will also be a field trip at McGill included in each 2 week session.
Registration begins March 19 by calling Westmount Sports and Recreation at 514-989-5353. For further information and an early bird enrolment reservation, please call Nigel Penney, Camp director, at 514-691-9307.”
