MOOSE JAW — As part of the ongoing “Meet Me in Mortlach” initiative, Mortlach residents Mike Beaudoin and Terry Bittles are showcasing the true hospitality of small town Saskatchewan by launching a silent auction to help support the distressed Moose Jaw & District Food Bank this month.
The silent auction will be managed by Jason Moore, the executive director of the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank. It’s planned to begin on the week of Aug. 5 and will conclude at the end of August.
“This is a silent auction,” Beaudoin said. “We’ll be announcing the big winner on the 31st of August, and then Darren Jones after that will be coming out and carving the base of it with (the winner’s) name, company logo, or design.”
The idea behind the silent auction comes from an ongoing dream to transform the village of Mortlach into a renewed tourist destination through the “Meet Me in Mortlach” initiative.
As of the Bohemian Market’s grand opening on July 20, Beaudoin said the village has received between 75 and 110 extra vehicles every day and said The Pit Stop Diner is “busy as hell.”
“We’ve got our food truck set up and we’re getting more vendors coming all the time,” he added. “A lot of them just come and go (but someone is always onsite).”
The sculpture is the work of Darren Jones, who is returning after his earlier creation of the Don Cherry statue now on permanent display as a landmark at the market’s entrance.
The auction of Jones’ latest sculpture will also run in tandem with regular auctions held at the venue, which have two retired auctioneers hired to oversee the process. Almost anything is accepted and anyone can reach out to donate.
Mortlach’s auction is distinguished by the rate it charges for commissions.
“The cheapest (average auction) rate right now is a 30 per cent commission,” Beaudoin said earlier. “So, by the time people go in and sell their stuff… they’ve already lost 45 per cent of whatever they’re selling (due to taxes plus commission).
“We’re 10 per cent. Out of that 10 per cent we’re paying our staff, and the rest is being set up where we can do things in the community (and maintain operations).”
“People get 90 per cent of the money for whatever they sell, or they can donate it to the community,” he added.
A portion of the proceeds from the Bohemian Market will be donated to charity, and this year’s primary focus will be the food bank in Moose Jaw.
For this month’s silent auction, by comparison, half of the proceeds will help support the food bank during one of its most challenging summers, and half will be reinvested to grow the Bohemian Market venue.
In addition to the auctions, Beaudoin also plans to set up a food truck so locals and visitors can buy a meal for themselves and, optionally, a meal (or two) to donate.
“A portion of (proceeds from each donated meal) goes to the food bank,” Beaudoin confirmed. “The more people (we can help) right now the better it’s going to be.”
To participate in the silent auction, contact Jason Moore by phone at 306-313-2757 or stop by the food bank during its regular business hours. The Moose Jaw & District Food Bank is located at 270 Fairford Street West.
To contact Mike Beaudoin, call 1-306-861-0001.
As a reminder, the auction is set to conclude on Saturday, Aug. 31.
