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Winter Lights trade fair a highlight of Holiday season

The Winter Lights trade fair will be held on December 1 at the Canora Rainbow Hall.

The Winter Lights trade fair will be held on December 1 at the Canora Rainbow Hall.

Candace Doogan, organizer, said there is room for approximately 30 vendor tables, and the available tables have been booked, with a number of names on the waiting list.

Santa Clause and his family will be making an appearance to take pictures. The soup and sandwich lunch will include homemade cream pies.

Vendors who have committed to this year’s trade show include businesses ranging from woodworking, health and wellness, formal apparel, baby items and more. Doogan strives to support local and home-based businesses, which covers approximately half of this year’s vendors. Among those vendors are: Baking by Athena Greba, B and R Honey, SeneGence makeup, Canora Quilting and others.

Doogan said the trade fair is a rewarding project to be involved in.

“I want to have excitement in town,” she said. “I want to have fun things to do and give back to the community.”

Each year Doogan chooses a local group or organization to support through the trade fair. She said this year’s proceeds from the trade fair table rentals and the raffle to be held during the event will support the Canora Filling the Gap Foodbank.

“It’s run solely by Pastor Mavis Watson without any outside assistance from government or otherwise, and I believe it needs our awareness and support as a community,” said Doogan.

Watson said she greatly appreciates the support from the trade fair, and other local initiatives.

She said thanks to recent food drives organized by groups such as the Canora air cadets, Canora Fire Department, Crossroads Credit Union, Canora Composite School and Invermay School, all the need for food donations has been met at the present time.

“We are overwhelmed by the bounty from our community,” said Watson.

She said the generousity of people in and around Canora brought to mind a Bible verse; Malachi 3:10.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

Watson said she has been involved with the foodbank in Canora for approximately 10 years. Over that time, she said an effective screening process has been developed.

“Since we are a small organization, we have chosen not to have charitable status. And we do our best to protect the privacy of those in need, so we don’t ask for T-4 slips,” said Watson. “Those in need often apply through the Canora Ministerial Association, which means they’re usually talking to priests and pastors. As we’ve become better known, we’ve also received referrals from local business people who meet individuals or families in need. Some hear about us through word of mouth.”

When individuals or families receive assistance, they are not allowed to apply for further help for at least two months.

Watson said information is shared with food banks in other communities, and if someone receives aid elsewhere, they will not get assistance in Canora, and vice versa.

“But the percentage of people who abuse the system is so very small,” she said. “And those who do misuse the system usually get caught quickly.”

Those who are in need of the foodbank’s assistance come from a variety of situations, including single mothers and the elderly with health issues. But sometimes it’s a family which had been doing OK financially until their house burned down.

Watson said it’s heartwarming to see that often when someone who has received assistance from the foodbank in the past has their fortunes change and starts receiving an income, they often come back to the foodbank and make a contribution.

In addition to Canora residents, Filling the Gap has also been providing support to those in need from Buchanan, Kamsack and Invermay.

The time right after Christmas is often a time of need for families.

“Single mothers who are already using the foodbank often buy their children nice Christmas presents to help them feel good about themselves,” said Watson. “But as a result, they might not have enough money to even buy food after Christmas.”

Watson said right now the greatest need is for financial support, to provide the foodbank with the flexibility to purchase perishable items for those in need.

Monetary donations may be dropped of in Canora at the foodbank, the Thrift Store, Crossroads Credit Union, CIBC and Gateway Co-op.