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Arctic Market to continue through winter

1409mar5 WEB
Florence Kataoyak came all the way from Ulukhaktok to display her wares at the final Arctic Market of the season Saturday, Sept. 10. She sold a variety of sealskin accessories and other items. NNSL file photo
Florence Kataoyak of Ulukhaktok displays her wares at the Arctic Market in Inuvik last September. The market is expected to be held through the winter this year at the Midnight Sun Complex. NNSL file photo

The Town of Inuvik will continue hosting Arctic Markets throughout the winter this year, following the success of the summer season.

“There is a need for it and I think that it'll draw lots of people,” said Heather Moses, economic development and tourism assistant for the town. “Especially in the winter time, because people want to get out and want food and they want baked goods and want crafts.”

Ideas for when and how to host the markets were discussed during an Arctic Market community meeting at the Midnight Sun Complex on Sept. 7.

A number of vendors were in attendance, as well as Moses and Mayor Jim McDonald.

The idea is to host the winter markets twice a month inside the Midnight Sun Complex, with the majority of them likely taking place on Saturdays, said Moses.

They would be scheduled near holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and the Sunrise Festival to give vendors more opportunity to sell baked goods or crafts they would normally sell around special occasions.

One vendor mentioned that the opening of the Inuvik-Tuk highway could draw more people from Tuktoyaktuk into town for the markets as well.

“Just having opportunities for people to sell, (it) seems to be that people want to buy,” said Ray Solotki, executive director at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse. “They want everyone's goods. They want to go out and have something to do.”

She said both the Tuesday and Saturday markets were a hit this summer and that people have expressed a positive attitude about them.

She added the greenhouse's average sales from the markets more than doubled from last year.

Moses has also received calls from residents expressing they enjoyed the addition of the Tuesday markets with live music and fresh veggies, she said.

“This is why we do it, is to support our local growers and crafters and bakers,” said Moses.

Although Sept. 2 was originally supposed to be the final Saturday Arctic Market of the year, the greenhouse stepped up to hold a few more on Sept. 9, 16 and 23 – which is also the fall fair.

While a final schedule for the winter markets has yet to be released, Moses confirmed the first one will take place on Oct. 7.