NDG scavenger hunt encourages participants to discover neighbourhood, support local

Montreal’s NDG neighbourhood is hosting a scavenger hunt to encourage the community to discover local businesses amid the ongoing pandemic.

It’s something local merchants say their businesses desperately needed after a two-year slowdown.

“It’s a great idea to discover businesses and kind of bring people to appreciate the businesses that they have and not even realize that they have,” said Ilya Razykov, the owner of Saga bookstore.

“It’s been difficult for business and things like that. But I think there’s kind of a silver lining there because people have been more aware of the benefits of support in their local community businesses, the benefits of interacting with other community members, the benefits of banding together and surviving in that way.”

The free scavenger hunt – cleverly called ScaveNDGers – takes place from April 15-25.

“We’ve had two years that have been really hard, exceptionally hard on merchants and the merchants in our neighbourhood,” said Sharon Sweeney, a community organizer with the NDG community council. “Really, they were up to the task. They changed, they adjusted, they did deliveries. Some merchants did stuff like Facebook Live so people could see their stock, and we felt like it was appropriate to give back, to promote them in a way that appreciates them.”

Participants need to download an event passport from the council’s website or can pick one up at their office on Avenue Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

“Everybody has something to offer and that’s what’s so amazing,” said Crystal Charles, the owner of Honey Books. “That’s why I think this is such a great idea. So everybody can have the full experience of NDG.”

Those who complete at least three stores on the map will be eligible to win a $20 gift card to one of the partaking businesses.

Montrealers have been showing their support on social media by sharing their finds.

“They could complete 20 to 12 of 22 tasks,” said Sweeney. “So that people could highlight the merchants but not necessarily have to spend money… We wanted everybody to feel like they could be part of it. Of course you end up spending money if you, when you go to the merchants and you could do a simple task, like instead of buying something you could post on Facebook or on social media and name a merchant that you like that has gone above and beyond the call of duty of what you expect of a merchant.

“One of the tasks is you could go to a flower shop on Sherbrooke and take a flower and bring it to a merchant that you like. And I’ve heard a lot of merchants saying like they hope they get a flower.”

The NDG council says the scavenger hunt has been such a success it’ll be coming back next year.