The George Little House Flea Market, now in its seventh year, has offered a wide variety of items in its history, including the unexpected.
“Antiques and history have always been my passion and that is why I love the George Little House and the local treasures that do get discovered at our Sunday Flea Market,” said Debbie Letawski of George Little House, who sells vintage pieces of furniture that she’s collected during the past 25 years. She would go to antique auctions and flea markets and most of her collection has been used at George Little House events, displays, schools and even last year for the Terrace Little Theatre.
The flea market started to bring the community downtown, and at that time, the George Little House had its weekly Tuesday Teas but staff was looking for an attraction for our VIA Rail passengers Sundays, said Letawski.
At 10 a.m., the VIA Rail would arrive and a local flea market seemed like a fun event, she added.
Ruth Lindwall, a hospital auxiliary volunteer, was invited to the event, and would set up with all proceeds going to the auxiliary, she said.
“Ruth passed away a few years back and everyone misses her amazing sense of humour and her great local treasures she would have on their tables,” said Letawski, adding Ruth would have a box of lego every week for one of the train engineers.
Train passengers and VIA rail crews would run from the train to the flea market to shop, and vintage milk cans, trunks, bikes, toys they bought were packed back onto the train, she added.
Local multimillionaire Bob Erb was a regular vendor until he won the lottery but by the sounds of it, he still likes to pick, said Letawski.
Regular vendors come from Kitimat, Terrace, and one even comes here every summer from Vancouver Island to visit his daughter and to sell at the flea market, she said.
“The biggest item that sold at our flea market was an Ocean Boat. We have had a lot of Terrace and regional treasures purchased such as carvings, paintings, pictures,” she said, adding in terms of “funny items” at the market, there’s too many to mention. “The flea market is always slow to start with regulars coming out but is really busy during Riverboat Days as more tourists are in town.”
The George Little House Flea Market goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday until September 7 in the cul-de-sac in front of George Little House.