Great Glebe Garage Sale is back after two years
By Colette Downie
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Great Glebe Garage Sale is back.
With a long tradition as a fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank and with hundreds of Glebe residents selling stuff from porches and driveways over an area of almost three square kilometres, the annual garage sale is a community event with significant benefits for the environment.
While the in-person event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Glebe Community Association (GCA) is planning to hold it this spring on May 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., subject to public health advice governing large events at the time. The Glebe BIA will hold its traditional Bank Street sidewalk sale at the same time.
While the pandemic has seen the emergence of new, virtual ways to buy, sell and give things away, the in-person event is still a fantastic way to enjoy the spring weather, reconnect with neighbours, shop and keep tons of useful items in circulation for reuse and out of landfill. Whether you sell, buy or donate, the sale is a significant way to reduce waste, conserve natural resources and reduce your carbon footprint.
If online inquiries are any indication, there is a lot of interest in this year’s sale from both sellers and buyers. The sale normally attracts thousands of shoppers, many looking to score a deal for something special. It’s a great way to furnish a new apartment, find baby gear and hunt for bargains of all kinds.
Through multiple lockdowns and two long winters, many Glebe residents have been decluttering and building up piles of stuff to sell. If you rent or own property in the Glebe, there is no need to sign up or obtain permission to take part, unless you are selling food. Almost anything can be sold and passed on for reuse – furniture, sports equipment, clothes, shoes, small appliances, tools, electronics, cookware and toys. See the sale FAQs (glebeca.ca/great-glebe-garage-sale-faqs-2) for more information and tips on what can and cannot be sold, on cooked food regulations and on ways to donate.
Since the sale started in 1986, the Glebe Community Association has asked sellers to donate part of their proceeds to the Ottawa Food Bank. We are working with our partners to find new ways to make it easy to contribute 10 per cent or more of your proceeds to the food bank, including online at ottawafoodbank.ca.
After the surge in online transactions during the pandemic, it will be interesting to see if that digital trend continues at the garage sale. Cash is the traditional currency for transactions, with vendors ending the day with pockets full of change and bills. While we expect most shoppers will still be expecting to pay in cash, there are more options this year to allow mobile payment using phones – and it may make a lot of sense especially for big-ticket items. If you plan to accept payment through a smartphone app, you should publicize that in your signage and set up your phone before the sale. Just don’t forget to be ready as well with smaller bills and change for those cash sales!
The GCA is asking everyone to look for ways to cut down or eliminate the use of single-use plastics on sale day. Residents: why not fill up the 20-litre water container you use for drinking water when camping and offer great City of Ottawa tap water to thirsty shoppers? If you’re a school, business or community association, please avoid fundraising through sales of disposable plastic water bottles and encourage vendors on your property to do the same. Community organizations may also want to offer access to a water station so shoppers can refill their personal water bottles.
Colette Downie is the volunteer coordinator of the Great Glebe Garage Sale for the Glebe Community Association and can be reached at gggs@glebeca.ca.
