Virtually together

Mom Market Collective event to bring south

shore together online for month of June

The Mom Market Collective began as a way for Jasmine Ancona to meet other moms in Ontario. Two years later, the collective has grown into her and collective co-founder Amy Thompson’s full-time jobs. The pair have watched it grow to now span Canada coast to coast, as new branches, including Nova Scotia’s South Shore branch, are added.

Through each branch, the collective bolsters small makers’ brands, connecting them with moms through their mom markets in their communities, bringing them together in-person or virtually online.

“This helps bring makers and community together,” says Ancona. “It’s a way to support your community and other women out there and to see new, unique items made in your backyard. It’s so inspiring to see what other women are making.”

‘SO INSPIRING TO SEE’

Ancona and Thompson met through their daughters’ ballet class and instantly hit it off. After chatting about ways to meet other moms, the pair came up with the idea to host mom markets, to bring mothers in their community together.

Ancona says their first market in Ontario was a hit, with lineups out the door. It soon became clear the idea had major potential, so they looked at making it a regular thing.

The collective now includes 16 locations Canada-wide, including three in Nova Scotia, where the upcoming TMM x YOU Virtual Market is being hosted jointly by the South Shore branch, headed by Ancona and the Halifax branch, headed by Audrianna House.

“We are so passionate about this community,” says Ancona. “We’ve been able to help small shop owners take their business from something small and part time and grow it to full time. It’s so inspiring to help along that journey.”

Ancona says the virtual market’s month-long run in June means moms can access it whenever works for them — something she says makes this virtual format a more accessible one for busy parents.

“We’ll be hosting and showcasing a specific group of makers from Nova Scotia and giving them the opportunity to take over our Instagram,” she says. “We’re moms, we get it — you can’t always pick up the phone. This lets moms browse the vendors when it’s convenient for them.”

‘PEOPLE LOVE LOCAL’

Ancona will be making the move from Ontario to Barrington in June and is looking forward to getting to know local moms and makers in Barrington and along the entire south shore through future in-person markets.

“What I’ve heard from chatting with people in Nova Scotia is that people love local and helping to invest in local. This is another avenue to do that,” she says.

She has scheduled a second market in Barrington on

July 10, which will take place outdoors and in person at the Sandy Wickens Memorial Arena.

Ancona says these markets give moms and all parents the opportunity to discover and explore the local makers within their communities, many of whom she says they may not yet know of. She says she and Thompson were amazed at what the collective helped them discover.

“Before started The Mom Market Collective, we didn’t realize the variety that was out there. Our shopping has gone from the mall to now 75 per cent of what I buy is from local makers,” says Ancona.

“It’s also just a great way to connect with community and make some friends. Having that community connection is so important.”

For more information on the TMM x YOU Virtual Market, visit instagram.com/ themommarket_southshore/. To apply to be a vendor, visit Themommarketco.com/ south-shore.