‘It’s a Christmas miracle’: Holiday Market at Bingemans a huge success, original organizer now charged

It was all Christmas spirit at a Christmas market Sunday, even though fraud charges have now officially been laid in connection with now two separate markets that saw the organizer unexpectedly cancel due to alleged gambling troubles.

Tanya Black is one of those vendors that was told two weeks ago, “It’s a Christmas Market” would be cancelled.

She tells CityNews Kitchener it was overwhelming to see the hundreds of shoppers come by the market Sunday.

“It has been an incredible turnout, we have done really well … it feels like a Christmas miracle, the fact that everyone was able to band together and make it happen, it feels great.”

Kayla Snow is a single mom running her business, Mama Snow. She was one of the businesses that had product flying off the shelves in the first thirty minutes of the market opening.

“This is actually my first year doing this specific market, and then when everything happened with it cancelling potentially, my heart sank a bit, so I’m really glad so many people have turned out, it has been really successful, like half of my stock has sold out.”

The success of the market Sunday also came with news from Waterloo Regional Police that an arrest had been made in the fraud investigation underway in connection with the market’s original cancellation.

A Cambridge woman in her early fifties now facing a charge of fraud over $5,000.

This as 55 victims have now come forward to Regional Police.

And that’s not all; police are now investigating another holiday market the woman reportedly unexpectedly cancelled, “Christmas Shopalooza,” which was planned for this coming Sunday in Cambridge.

At least twelve people have reported financial loss in that case.

Police do still believe there are more victims out there, who are encouraged to contact them at 519-570-9777, extension 6335 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.