St. Catharines Market Square holding first ever BIPOC event this Sunday

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Published November 17, 2021 at 2:28 pm

The same St. Catharines woman who spearheaded the Go Fund Me to replace the vandalized bust of famed freedom firefighter Harriet Tubman at the Salem Chapel BME Church is creating a first for the city.

Given that her $13,000 Go Fund Me drive was exceeded by nearly $3,000, it’s a strong bet that Natasha Bell, founder of BlackOwned905, will again come out ahead when she runs the first Holiday BIPOC fair at St. Catharines Market Square this Sunday (November 21).

The event, running from 11 am to 4 pm, will held by 30-plus vendors who are black, Indigenous and people of colour. It is the first of its kind for the city.

Bell got the idea after seeing recent BIPOC marketplaces in Hamilton and Toronto this past year. Her event  will also feature music, courtesy of a local DJ.

Bell’s group BlackOwned905 is a service that lets people know which businesses in the Niagara Region are run by members of the BIPOC community.

Bell is also well-known within Niagara Region as she was honoured with a Niagara Impact Award in June. The region said that she has taken “remarkable steps to help enrich our community by supporting diversity and black-owned businesses across Niagara.”

(Natasha Bell photo courtesy of Niagara Region)

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