And while Chantal has been stringing her pearls for a long time now, it took until 2013 for her to open her Ali Baba’s Cave of Wonders to the public via an online boutique. “it was a real success," she recalls, "and I quickly found I had to open a bricks-and-mortar space because I no longer had the space at home for all these items; there were just too many of them!” On the topic of Verdun as a choice of location, Chantal is quick to brush off any negative preconceptions of a neighbourhood she is happy to help develop. “I am from Verdun and I know the neighbourhood well. It has been back on the up-and-up in recent years, it’s changing rapidly, and I’m proud of contributing to making it a destination for Montrealers. It’s a really cool part of town.”