May is just around the corner, and believe it or not, even this year when spring seems reluctant to arrive, there will be, for the 30th year, the ARP Garage Sale.
Since its first year of existence, the ARP Garage Sale has been organized at Parc du Méridien in mid-May. Each of the board members (Marc-André Marleau, Suzanne Rollin, Raymond Carrier, Richard Enright, Monique Ferlatte/Paiement, Carolyn Karpoff, Karl Boutin, Bernard Breton, Sylvie Lamarre, Jeannine Doyle/Cormier, and myself) would share tasks to make the event a memorable one.
The garage sale, traditionally held individually in the Outaouais region, is first announced in the newspaper. Many residents take advantage of this opportunity to hold their own sales on their own properties, and far from competing with ours, they contribute to creating a sense of community throughout the neighborhood.
ARP presentation tables are available for rent at $15 each, and a BBQ and refreshments are offered to customers for $1 each (hot dogs, chips, soft drinks, etc.). A stage is set up for background music and customary speeches. The activity takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Afterward, volunteers fold the tables, clean up the park, and collect bags of garbage for pickup the next day by the City, a partner in the event. By 5 p.m., there is no trace left of the activity in the park, which has welcomed some 500 people, and the environment is preserved. The funds collected are counted on the same day by two responsible individuals who hand them over to the treasurer for deposit into the ARP account.
Hoping that this reminder will inspire you to participate in the 30th anniversary garage sale of the ARP, I wish us all a magnificent day of bargain hunting, a pretext for enriching human exchanges, and strengthening pride and a sense of belonging to the Plateau.
Best regards,
Marc Jacques Girard
Co-founder president of the ARP