Colette van Haaren

Location: Canada

Member Since: 2 June 2004

Professional Associations

Travelwriters.com

Periodical Writers Association of Canada

Introduction

Curiosity drives Colette van Haaren's writing; that's why she stayed a night in a jail/hostel (...the metal door to the prison wing kept slamming, courtesy of the guard) and made like Tarzan, swinging from tree to tree (...uhm, made like George-watch-out-for-that-tree!)*

Her writing interests range from hobbies to holistic health care, from pets to parenting, and from sports to spirituality. Colette's travel articles have been published in The Montreal Gazette, the Edmonton Journal, the Barrie Examiner, and Family Camping Magazine. Look for her "EX-"rated guides to the cities of Montreal, Utrecht, and Amsterdam on www.exinthecity.com.

Colette is a member of Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and belongs to Montreal’s Creative Women’s Support Network and English Language Arts Network (ELAN). You can find her listing at www.writers.ca. Search for her byline and the introductory paragraphs of her newspaper articles at www.fpinfomart.ca. To hire her writing services, e-mail her at cvanhaaren@sympatico.ca.

*To view these articles, click on the samples marked with an * in the content table below.

Articles for Sale

(1) Five Victorian Hotels in Montreal (excerpt)

Montreal is known for its culture and history... why not soak up some of that atmosphere during your next trip? Whether you are looking for a business-like or homey environment, close to downtown or a little farther out, one of these five Victorian three-star hotels might be the right place for you.

Manoir Ambrose is a Victorian mansion converted to small hotel. Located on Stanley Street in the center of Montreal's business district, the establishment was built as a residence in the late 1800s in an area at the foot of Mount Royal now called the Golden Square Mile. In 1970 the house was transformed into Maison du voyageur Ambrose, where commercial travellers rented rooms on a weekly or monthly basis. In 1983, Claude Jouhannet converted the place into a small three-star hotel that offers personalized service.

Armor Manoir Sherbrooke consists of three houses, which made up two hotels. Annick Morvan bought La Tour Armor in 1973, and then added Manoir Sherbrooke in 1985. The latter had been stripped of its Victorian nature... the front was structurally altered to accommodate outdoor staircases and the interior featured Art Deco decor and 1960s shag carpets. Needless to say, Morvan worked hard to restore the hotel, giving it a fitting Victorian atmosphere.

The efforts paid off. The hotel is popular with Toronto guests from the artistic realm, such as models and photographers. Now and again, fashion photographers ask to use one of the rooms as the backdrop to a photo shoot and such reportages have appeared in catalogues and magazines.

Away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district, you will find three-star Hotel Auberge Manoir Ville-Marie on Sainte-Catherine Street East. Housed in one of Canada's oldest post offices in what was previously considered Montreal's downtown area, this Greystone manor dates back to 1895. In 2002, it was turned into a hotel and in 2004 Sharzad Ghaffari and Bernard Tajick, took over. "A century ago, mail passed through the post office; nowadays it dispatches 'living mail:' visitors from all over the world who often contact us by email first," says Ghaffari.

note to editors: This article profiles five Victorian hotels through their respective history and clientele. My image portfolio contains more than 30 high-res photos for you to choose from.

(2) Have Needles, Will Travel (excerpt)

The yarn stores of Montreal

In yarn stores, knitters are in their element. Colorful yarns in various grades of softness, along with knitting books, patterns, and magazines are not just eye candy, they feed a knitter's creativity. Yet when it comes to yarn stores, Montreal has a hole in its heart. That's right, there are no specialty stores in the center of the city, although you can find some knitting tools and yarn at a few of the department stores. A bit further out, however, there are plenty of places to shop for the things you need: ten, in fact. This article lays out the land for you: just follow the map and directions for public transport. Whether you live in Montreal or are just visiting, all you have to do is to get yourself to these ten locations and enjoy.

Testimony to the recent resurgence of knitting is the opening of two new yarn stores. In September 2006, Effiloche (pronounce e-fi-lo-CHAY) opened its doors in Plaza St-Hubert. Owner Ginette Verdone combines a retail store (for yarn and fabric) with a sewing room and knitting lounge where classes are being held. At her previous store, Paisley, Verdone began selling recycled, fair-trade, and organic yarns, mainly meant as an embellishment for sewing projects. Growing demand for yarns, however, encouraged her to open the new store with a new concept. Knitting courses will be given by Kate Gilbert, a knitwear designer published in Interweave Knits magazine. Effiloche means frayed or unravelled.

Two years earlier, knitwear designer Svetlana Kudrevich opened Mouline (pronounce mou-li-NAY), a small store chockfull of natural yarns, close to the Atwater Market. Kudrevich swatches every yarn before she orders it, so it knits up as expected. She will give help with projects, as long as the yarn was bought at the store.

Mouline | 2679 Notre-Dame West, one block east of Atwater | Metro: Lionel Groulx (walk down Atwater or take bus 108 Bannantyne West to corner Atwater/Notre-Dame) | Metro: Lucien-l'Allier (take bus 36 Monk West to corner Notre-Dame/Charlevoix*) | 514-935-4401 | svetlana@moulineyarns.com | www.moulineyarns.com | Opening Hours: Tue + Wed 11 AM - 6 PM; Thu + Fri 11 AM - 7 PM; Sat 11 AM - 5 PM; Sun 12 noon - 5 PM | Classes: group and private lessons | Services: make to order, consulting, finishing, sewing up; no repairs.

note to editors: This article profiles ten Montreal yarn stores. My image portfolio contains more than 20 high-res photos for you to choose from.

Experience & Expertise

I have traveled widely in Europe.

Publishing Credentials

DreamScapes Travel & Lifestyle magazine, The Gazette (Montreal), the Edmonton Journal, the Ottawa Citizen

Awards Received

Honorable mention (The Federal-Provincial Literacy Project) Canada, 1996

Clips & Samples (View All 7)

[No Title], Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

Nature, nurture, and expression for Ex in the City of Montreal, Exinthecity.com

Hot spot for winter, The Gazette

Amsterdam City Guide, Exinthecity.com

Shawinigan's island park is full of surprises (*), The Gazette