The communities of Norway Bay and Sand Bay, only a few coves apart from each other on the Ottawa River, each held their own garage sale events on Saturday, drawing many a bargain hunter to browse the tables on tables of used goods available for purchase.
The Great Norway Bay Garage Sale saw nearly the entirety of River Road and most surrounding streets turn into one continuous garage sale.
Now a long-standing tradition, the event serves as a fundraiser for the Norway Bay Municipal Association (NBMA), with participants paying a fee to set up tables, and some choosing to donate a portion, or all, of their proceeds to local causes.
This year there were around 30 tables that participated, said Eileen Barry, who helps with the advertising for the sale. “It’s more about the spirit and a sense of community-building than it is about money,” she said in a message following the event.
Marta Monaghan, for the second year in a row, plans to donate all proceeds earned from her pop-up thrift store to Animal Aide Pontiac. Last year, she raised $1,200 for the organization.
Also returning were Bristol Community Association members Elaine Findlay and Chantal Labrie. Proceeds from their barbeque and table will be donated towards repairs to the rink in Norway Bay.
“To be able to give back is a pleasure,” Labrie said with a smile while grabbing a burger off the grill.
Members of St. Andrew’s-Knox United Church provided refreshments at their table alongside a wide variety of books. Eight of the members baked three dozen muffins each for the event. By 10:40 a.m., all but three muffins had been sold.
“We might be done a little earlier than we thought,” joked Joan Rusenstrom when she noticed the time. Proceeds from the sale went directly back to the church.
A few kilometres up river in Sand Bay, another collection of tables had been set up on lawns throughout the community.
Usually, Sand Bay organizes its community garage sale the week following Norway Bay, but this year, the first weekend of July was the only one that would work for them, said Stacey Thomson, Sand Bay Association president.
Because of the conflict, Sand Bay’s garage sale was a little toned down this year, but still served its purpose: to offer people who are coming back to the area for the summer a chance to clear some of their things out, Thomson said.
Among the vendors was Miller Rose MacDonald who served up sweet treats for a special cause: she’s donating half of her proceeds to Kids Kick Cancer to support a close family friend who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.
