Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 25/01) - Yellowknife's City Market is moving up town.

The Yellowknife Women's Centre has taken over the city market from Yellowknife Glass Recyclers and is expanding it to include a Friday night market in the downtown core.

Arlene Hache says she'd like the market to move towards being run by a collective of not-for-profit groups.

April Parchoma, market co-ordinator with the centre said the market will run this Friday night at the Yellowknife Inn parking lot. It will also continue to be run on Saturday mornings at the old Bartam trailer site on School Draw Avenue.

"I don't want to use the city market just for commercial sales," said Parchoma, "but for people who want to look for another outlet for energy and creativity."

Parchoma envisions the Friday night market as the main vending time and Saturdays for more community-orientated activities.

"I'd like to pump up the volume on Friday nights," said Parchoma.

Parchoma wants to mix issues and events with selling at both markets.

This Saturday morning, the shelter will be kicking off a bottle drive.

Matthew Grogono, the catalyst for this year's market, originally intended it to be run by a not-for-profit organization and according to Arlene Hache her group is now ready to take it over.

"We were looking for someone to run it," said Hache, who hired Parchoma on July 5.

The centre is getting the Bartam site for $1 and the Yellowknife Inn is offering their parking lot for free.

Hache said she'd like the market to move towards being run by a collective of not-for-profit groups. "We have bigger plans than this summer," said Hache.

Parchoma said she has several vendors lined up for Friday.