Celebrate Halloween with your community and its local merchants

Saturday, October 29, the merchants of Dorval invite the Montreal community for an afternoon of costumed, Halloween fun. The event runs from 3-6pm, with the main activities centred around 200-208 Dorval Avenue, at the corner of Dawson Avenue.

Linda Richer and her husband Pierre—the local owners of Richer Jewellers—are excited to celebrate Halloween with the families of Dorval this coming Saturday. Linda is on the committee of volunteers organizing the event, and Pierre is the current President of the Dorval Main Streets Association.

If you’ve visited Dorval recently, you’ve probably seen the construction consuming Dorval Avenue. Fortunately, this welcomed facelift is almost complete. “We are taking advantage of the event to inaugurate the renovation of Dorval Avenue,” said Linda Richer. Expect new bike paths and new sidewalks as a part of this street-long renovation. “It was a much needed upgrade.”

Linda, Pierre, and their community of merchants want to make the end-of-construction celebration extra special in light of the Halloween season. Come out for an afternoon of ghoulish delights organized specially for their neighbours and the children. Expect music, costumes, pumpkins, and prizes. “We will have live DJs from local radio stations,” said Linda. “We also have a professional pumpkin carver that will be demonstrating for the afternoon.” The kids can even decorate pumpkins themselves to take home.

Kids are encouraged to dress up for the occasion. “We will have prizes for the best costumes for children, and for dogs!” said Linda. A game of merchant hide and seek will guide attendees throughout the neighbourhood. Rumour has it that most merchants will be prepared with candy for the kids upon arrival. If sugary treats aren’t your favourite, check out the local food vendors scattered along the way.

The merchants have the treats covered, but the big tricks will be out on the street corner, after dark. “The big finale is the fire jugglers. That will be quite spectacular,” said Linda.

Despite the promising entertainment, Linda is most looking forward to enjoying an afternoon with her community: “It will be nice to celebrate the finish of Dorval Avenue together, and celebrate our local merchants, and celebrate with our kids.”

“This is the first event of this kind,” said Pierre Richer. “We’ve hosted Halloween activities for years, but not of this nature.” Linda and Pierre hope to see the whole community come together for the Halloween haunt themed celebration.

“[The merchants] are a part of the community, and we have the community’s wellbeing at heart as much as the residents. We host these events to try to bring the community a little closer together,” said Pierre. It’s important that we all join together to support local merchants. A committee of volunteers has worked hard to put something together for all members of the Dorval—and greater Montreal—community to enjoy.

“The more people support us, the more we can give back to the population,” said Pierre. “We do these activities to invite people to get to know our merchants better because it’s an activity that’s outside of the normal context of the business. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere to get to know the people.”

The couple, and their neighbouring merchants of Dorval Main Streets Association invite everybody to come—Halloween costumes ready—next Saturday afternoon.

By: Jillian Clark – totimes.ca