MINDEMOYA—This summer, the Mindemoya Market is moving a dozen kilometres down the road to the M’Chigeeng First Nation.
“I’m happy to say the features of our market that our customers appreciate will remain unchanged,” said market manager Jan McQuay. “It’s largely just the location that will be different. It will continue to be a meeting place for people, as it has been in Mindemoya. We will continue to have Mike and Maria’s popular café where people can sit over a cup of coffee and chat and listen to the live music that has become such a toe-tapping attraction. We will still have delicious baking like Diane Chmielak’s pies, and Kathleen Albrecht from Tehkummah and others will still bring the fresh local farm produce that people love. Artisans and crafters of course will be there. And we will continue to support local charities like libraries by offering them space to sell books and other items. That’s our way of giving back.”
Markets create a venue for producers and artisans to display and sell their products to customers without renting or selling wholesale, and a place for customers to find fresh produce and unique crafts. They are popular with locals and visitors looking for something different. “There are other Saturday markets on the Island, and that’s a good thing,” Ms. McQuay added. “It’s a sign of a vibrant community. I try to run our market a bit like a mini-fair, with lots going on. I’m hoping that some First Nations artisans and crafters in M’Chigeeng will find the market a handy place to sell their products. I think that would add to the variety we offer.”
Ms. McQuay has been running the Mindemoya Market since 2011. “It’s quite a responsibility, contacting vendors, advertising, coordinating the music, making sure everyone has space even with numbers that are always fluctuating, compiling end-of-year reports. Of course, many vendors help out in a variety of ways, from heavy jobs like transporting tables to weekly tasks like collecting fees, stepping up to help make the market function smoothly. We’re all volunteers, and without their willing cooperation there would be no market.”
This year the market will begin on Saturday, June 22 with the hours stull to be determined. To accommodate summer visitors better, the market may start later in the morning and end early afternoon. Ads and posters with the open hours will be out in early June. Ms. McQuay added, “And we’ll need a new name, so suggestions are welcome!”
“Mindemoya has been good to us,” Ms. McQuay continued. “We appreciated the cooperation of the Municipality of Central Manitoulin. This will be a new venture for us and we are hoping our faithful customers in Mindemoya will like it just as much in the M’Chigeeng Arena. The new location near the corner of Hwy 540 and Hwy 551 may draw in new customers enabling us to grow, while still maintaining the essential character of the market that so many people enjoy.”
