On July 13, locals and cottagers in Sand Bay were out and about roaming in the town’s streets looking to turn their neighbors unwanted things into their own prized possessions during the municipality’s annual community garage sale.

Organized by the Sand Bay Association, the event served as an opportunity for the town’s residents to add a little extra money to their pockets while socializing with locals.

The event is a great way for residents to spend quality time with their neighbours and get to know some of the cottagers coming in for the summer, according to Sand Bay Association’s President Glenda Baker,

“We find it a great community thing,” she said. “People just going and visiting. They get out and they go around. Whether you sell a lot or you don’t sell a lot, people visit one another.”

Held every summer for the last several years, the event has become one that locals look forward to as it adds a dose of action and amusement to the town, Baker said.

For Sand Bay councillor Jonathan Dagg, the event is always an enjoyable one as it allows him to meet new neighbours, get in touch with old friends while getting in tune with the community’s needs.

“Everybody kind of runs around on their bicycles and goes for walks and golf carts and so on,” he said. “The chit-chat goes on. You get to hear some concerns and take it from there.”

A few years ago, after noticing various communities hosting similar communal yard sales, including the annual one in Norway Bay, Baker felt like the folks from Sand Bay might want to give their own a shot.

“We first did it up in the ball park,” she said. “Everybody brought their stuff and it was in one area.”

Now, to make things more convenient for participants, folks started setting up shop on their property fronts, allowing residents to roam through the town from one shop to the next.

While the number of sidewalk retailers set up at the event was relatively low, Baker wasn’t too disappointed considering the difficult circumstances certain riverside residents have experienced in the last few months.

“It wanes,” she said. “It just depends. Sometimes, we’ve had more participants. This year, not quite as many. But this year has not been a normal year. Things are starting later with all the flooding problems and things like that. People aren’t ready.”

From left: Sand Bay councillor Jonathan Dagg, his sons Frederick, Charles and his wife Sabrina pose for a photo in front of their garage sale set-up.

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