Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Friday, July 6, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Summer brings out something in everyone such as an acquired taste for chewing tobacco on the baseball field or a renewed determination to clean out the backyard shed.

But for five Yellowknife kids, nothing shines brighter in the summer than the color of money.

Those walking down Franklin Avenue on Tuesday afternoon likely met the group of five friends who banded together to sell lemonade in their common pursuit of summer spending money.

"It's one of those things you like to do in the summer," said Devin Hinchey, 11.

Joining Devin in the enterprise were twins Aidan and Jacob Charpentier, David Williams and Randy White.

Besides the tried, tested and true offering of lemonade, the stand also boasted iced tea and blue and orange Cool-Aid - each at 50 cents a pop.

"The younger guys always like Cool-Aid," said Hinchey.

Other businesses offering cold drinks to quench people's summer thirst had better watch out.

"Sometimes when people are running late from businesses and they usually stop by Javaroma or something like that, sometimes we'd be out there just giving them a quick little drink," said Hinchey.

Hinchey's already learned a key lesson in business: keep your friends close.

"I think it was Aidan and Jacob who came up with idea, because I called them up and they said they were going to have this sale. So then I biked over there."

Not to say everything's come easy so far. This is Yellowknife, after all.

"We had one guy walk by. We asked him if he wanted a drink and he just swore right in front of us and kept on walking," he said.

"When we were out there, we'd ask some people when they walked by if they wanted to drink, and they wouldn't even answer us or just keep walking."

But the good customers outweigh the bad - in kindness and in their spending habits. One customer - and, not surprisingly, Hinchey's favourite - "got one drink and he probably gave us a buck and ten cents."

What's an 11-year-old to do with his money? For Hinchey, the answer is simple.

"I'm putting my money towards a baseball bat for a little league baseball tournament."