Street shoppers

Making the community a better place is the main goal of the annual Westfort street fair, says a member of a local business association.

Thousands of area residents flocked to the city's south side Saturday to take part at the 29th annual Westfort street fair. Many took advantage of the reduced prices to purchase clothes and other goods.  

Jack Moro, a member of the Westfort Village Association, said since the street fair started, it has always been the association’s intention to give back to the community and improve this area of the city.

“This festival means a lot for Westfort and it means a lot for the community,” Moro said. “With the number of people that join us, we’re able to give something back to the community such as donations to charities like we did last year when we gave to the new library. I think that everyone that lives here and works here should give something back one way or another so they can keep their community vibrant and new.”

Moro said the fair also gives people a chance to check out local businesses.

Carol Pyne, who lives in the Westfort area, came out to enjoy the festival. She said there were lots to do at the fair but her favourite parts were the food and seeing all the people in attendance.

“I come here to see and talk to people that you don’t see on a regular basis as well as the great deals,” Pyne said. “I think it is important to continue this festival because we have had such a great turnout. It’s always a full event.”

Mary Anne Comuzzi, director of development for the Thunder Bay George Jeffery Children’s Foundation, announced that Ken Rule drew the top prize and won the vintage car raffle. Bruce Stone donated the 1937 Plymouth Coupe last November and it was the first time the Children’s Foundation held a car raffle.

Comuzzi said they wouldn’t have an official count until sometime later but hoped the raffle raised to more than $60,000.

“The community has been exceptional,” Comuzzi said. “This will certainly help keep everything up any running to the standard that we want.”

She said they didn’t plan on hosting another car raffle next year but would be open to the idea they received another donated car.