Local impact

The Kakabeka Street Fair has helped Pat Wielobob be her own boss.

Wielobob and her husband, Henry started their jam business called H and P Jams and Jellies about five years ago. Wielobob said they used to give the jam away but decided there might be enough of a demand to sell the product. Since they first started, the Wielobob’s have expanded from their home in Neebing to a booth at the Country Market at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds.

They attract a fair amount of business but the jam really starts to flow during the two-day annual street fair, she said.

“It’s really big to have our jams out here because people look for us,” Wielobob said on Saturday. “I think the fair is great because it promotes local businesses and it shows that you have to provide to ensure the economy grows by shopping.”

On average, Wielobob handles about 5,000 jars of jams and jellies per year and usually sells about $600 worth at the fair.

Wielobob said what she liked most about owner her own business was that she was her own boss and without events like the street fair it would be difficult for her and her husband to run the business.

“If the fair were to stop it would hurt us,” she said. “It is a fairly large event for us to be here for two days and it does help us get ahead a little bit. We do other fairs and people come up to us and say ‘hey I remember you from the Kakabeka Street Fair.’ So we do get repeat customers when you are located here and ever where.”

Even organizer Marlis Bommes-Dudzinski said the fair helped to attracted tourists not only from Thunder Bay but also from all over the province and gave the small community a big economic boost.

 “We tried to advertise the area as best we could and let people know where Kakabeka is,” Bommes-Dudzinski said. “For this little weekend there is a lot of revenue that’s brought in this little village. It helps us survive part of our winter and it brings people out more to have a staycation. It is a very critical festival for the town.”

The Street Fair continues on Sunday and wraps up around 6 p.m. 


   --- Follow Jeff Labine on Twitter: @Labine_reporter