L’Hôtel St. James Grand Opening

Welcome to L’Hôtel St. James! Opened in August, 2007, this superb hotel is the ultimate in style and hospitality, defining the true concept of the “Boutique Hotel.” Located at 14 Church Street in the city of Moncton’s downtown core, L’Hôtel St. James displays a classic blend of old world charm and sleek modern lines, bringing a “big city” feel to its surroundings. A new innovation in the hospitality industry for the Greater Moncton Area, L’Hôtel St. James is cutting-edge in concept, poised to contribute greatly to the image of Moncton. L’Hôtel St. James will be celebrating a special Grand Opening Event on Saturday, December 1, with an Open House to introduce its fine offerings to residents of our tri-community area. Drop by for a tour of their excellent facilities, a chance to meet the warm and welcoming management and staff, refreshments, and a special draw to win a free night’s stay at L’Hôtel St. James, complete with all the little extras that’ll make you feel pampered. Here, you’ll discover a place that is truly out of the ordinary!

L’Hôtel St. James breathes new life into Moncton’s storied past. Occupying a building that is designated a heritage site, 14 Church Street is over a century old. Built in 1898, it has undergone many incarnations including the Globe Laundry facility, a gift shop and art gallery, and artists studios. Part of an historic urban landscape, this new Boutique Hotel shares its space with St. James Gate Restaurant and Bar which is one of Moncton’s trendiest eateries featuring award-winning cuisine, live music, and a unique atmosphere. L’Hôtel St. James occupies two floors with ten rooms that showcase the latest technology, the best in comfort and luxury, and the finest amenities while strictly adhering to the codes laid out for heritage sites in the city. True to its historic character, L’Hôtel St. James has retained the integrity of such special features as its lovely exterior brick work and the original hardwood floors throughout. The result is that L’Hôtel St. James pulses with an exclusivity comparable with the famous hotels of London, Paris, and New York. In some special suites, there is even the look and feel of an exotic Indonesian resort – you’d swear you were in Bali! As co-owner Dave Barley says, “A stay at L’Hôtel St. James is a mood-altering experience!” Indeed, upscale, yet surprisingly affordable, L’Hôtel St. James is the perfect weekend getaway for both area residents and visitors to our city, as well as a restful haven for the business client seeking respite from the workday world. A complete one-stop experience, L’Hôtel St. James’s proximity to St. James Gate Restaurant and Bar makes for the ultimate convenience for the road-weary business traveller or out-of-town vacationer.

L’Hôtel St. James is owned and operated by a three-way partnership of the father and son team of Dave and Kolin Barley, and Troy Boudreau. Visionaries as well as entrepreneurs, L’Hôtel St. James is the latest project of this dynamic team who have left no stone unturned in employing the most talented people in the fields of architecture, construction, and interior design to produce a place that is in itself a work of art! Designed by Architect Jeff van Dommelen of Architects 4 and decorated by the team of interior designers Guy LeBlanc and Elaine McCarthy, each room imparts an understated elegance with clean, simple lines that exudes a classic luxury. Making use of decor, fixtures and finishings manufactured in the Greater Moncton Area, this Boutique Hotel showcases the flavour and workmanship of our Maritime community, elevating it to a global level. Plush bedding, innovative bathroom fittings including heated tile, luxurious soaker tubs in three guestrooms, a choice of fine wines add elegance and style to the more practical aspects of the hotel experience which includes digital cable, high-speed Internet including wireless, iPod alarm clocks, wall mounted flat screen plasma TV’s, DVD players, individually controlled air conditioning, and continental breakfast. All of these elements combine to provide the guest with an experience that is a world apart.

L’Hôtel St. James’s location n the heart of downtown Moncton gives its guests easy access to all the attractions in the Greater Moncton Area. Just minutes away from shopping, business, and entertainment centres, it is within walking distance to the Capitol and Empress Theatres, City Hall, the Farmers Market on Saturdays, business offices, and the charming shops and stores of the city centre. A great base of operations from which to explore area attractions of a seasonal or year-round nature, L’Hôtel St. James offers proximity to Hopewell Rock, Fundy National Park, Parlee Beach in the Town of Shediac, Le Pays de la Saguoine in Bouctouche, and even a day trip to Prince Edward Island. It is the perfect spot for a second honeymoon, a romantic hideaway, an anniversary, or a birthday treat, and the staff of L’Hôtel St. James can provide services tailored to every occasion.

For more information or to make a reservation, call L’Hôtel St. James at (506) 388-4283, fax (506) 383-7505, or call toll free at 1-888-782-1414 and visit their website at www.hotelstjames.ca for a stay that is certain to rank amongst your most memorable.

Foods of the World

During the holiday season with family and friends coming and going back and forth to each other’s homes for meals, the quandary as to what to serve is always on the mind of the conscientious hostess. When hosting a finger food event or a family buffet, here’s an idea to create a memorable occasion with practically no fuss or bother – have an “around the word” buffet with dishes from the global village. You can serve samosas from Lebanon, piquant spring rolls from Vietnam, delicious pot stickers from China, juicy chicken wraps from Egypt, naan bread and curry from India, Italian pizza, Japanese sushi, bread and rolls from France, cakes from Germany, pastries from Austria, cookies and tarts from Holland, and fresh fruit and wines from our very own Atlantic region. How to accomplish this? Visit the area farmers markets where all of these delicious items can be found every Saturday. All authentic dishes prepared in the methods of their home countries, it’s a gastronomic treat that will leave your guests pleased and satisfied, and you’ll be the one to reap the accolades. Visit the markets on weekends and sample a little of this delicious fare. It’ll help you to create a menu for an event that will have your guests talking about for months afterwards and you’ll be able to enjoy a stress-free get-together. Bon appetit!

Hope Farm

A healthy lifestyle includes a healthy diet and a healthy diet requires the purity of nature’s bounty organically grown the old-fashioned way – without chemicals and pesticides and marketed without preservatives. The “Hope of a Healthy World” is the philosophy behind Hope Farm of St. Norbert in Kent County. Certified organic growers, Reiner Zimmermann and the staff at Hope Farm are all avid enthusiasts of growing vegetables the way farmers did centuries ago. Careful stewardship of the land, close attention to climate, and harvesting produce at peak times have resulted in a superior product packed with freshness and goodness.

Hope Farm grows a wide range of vegetables including red beets, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, sugar peas, beans, cucumbers, zucchinis, Swiss chard, kale, and a great selection of peppers including chillies and jalapenos. An exciting and novel approach to marketing their produce is the “mixed-veggie-box” or MVB, which customers can subscribe to for regular delivery right to the door. Filled with a selection of vegetables harvested weekly, MVB cab be delivered on Tuesdays and Saturdays anywhere in Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview at no delivery charge. This approach to vegetable buying cuts down on guesswork and time spent in buying vegetables at the supermarket and can create surprising variety in you diet as each week the selection may vary according to what is being harvested in accordance with weather and seasonal considerations. Just a phone call away, it’s a great way to guarantee freshness in your healthy diet!

Hope Farm’s great mixed vegetable boxes can also be purchased locally at the Corn Crib, Sequoia Whole Food, and Natural Choice Nutrition as well at the Marché Moncton Market on Saturdays. Be sure to drop down to the market and check out the terrific selection of vegetables fresh from the farm and include “Hope” in your healthy outlook on life!