location: 6029 Avenue du Parc
phone number: n/a
hours: Tues, Wed, Sat, Sun 12-6; Thurs-Fri 6-9; Mon closed
payment methods: cash
directions: North of Bernard, on the east side near to Van Horne; closest metro is Outremont or Rosemont, but the easiest way to get there from downtown is to take the 80 bus on Avenue du Parc.

“Everything we have here we found biking across Montreal!” says Piotrek about this relatively new friperie whose name is “maybe” spelt in French phonetics. Situated on the outskirts of the Mile End area, it was started up in 2005 by 3 friends. They spent 6 months setting up the space and, as they will admit, it is still a work in progress.

Everything used to fix up the place - from the paint on the wall to the clothes on the racks - was either given to them or found while riding around the city on their bikes. Sometimes they have parties or events, but you won’t know about them until you get to know the owners who consider the space (and what’s in it) as a non-profit co-operative. It’s easy to overlook this place due to the location; but, once you spot it, it’s hard to forget the mannequin sitting outside, occasionally wearing next to nothing, or the bikes stacked up under a neon sign that says OUVERT. The late opening times near the end of the week might also put a few of us off, but it’s worth checking out, if only to see what can be achieved through recycling.

The front shop area is cozy if not a little haphazard. There’s a large sofa covered in shag pile and several mannequins dressed to face a minimal, but perhaps harsh future. Stacked against them are several bikes, which Piotrek is only too happy to show you. He is proud to be able to now offer a bike repair service at the back of the shop.

There is much packed in to the space and a sense of shabbiness lingers that I rather like yet might put off those used to more of a pre-selected quality in their choice of shop. The selection is diverse; there are shoes, accessories, books, CDs, kids clothes not to mention the usual fare of women’s clothing. Yet, the range of designs, styles, and quality is not as varied as some stores and I found the prices of some items to be slightly high.

That being said, Piotrek will give you a discount if you’re buying a lot and is open to some negotiation on the prices. You are pretty much left to your own devices here, which means you can take the time to dig, poke, move things around in order to discover the unexpected.
photography by Heather Utah