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The lemonade stand on 1901 Barton Drive where Lukas Boyer calls out to traffic with his homemade sign while Hudson Lukan pours a fresh glass. (Image Credit: paNOW Staff/Nick Nielsen)
Pitcher-Perfect Summer Business

Lemonade stands still bringing in summer cash for kids

Jul 30, 2026 | 6:03 AM

The lemonade stand is one of the staples of summer in Canada. 

For years, kids on summer vacation with the time to do whatever they want but without the cash to do it typically turn to a lemonade stand. 

Now that people are carrying around cash less than ever, is it still a viable summer job for young kids? According to nine-year-old Riley Cournoyer, who runs his own stand at 33 Pereverzoff Place, the money is still pretty good.

Nine-year-old Riley Cournoyer runs his iced tea stand at 33 Pereverzoff Place.
Nine-year-old Riley Cournoyer runs his iced tea stand at 33 Pereverzoff Place. (Image Credit: paNOW Staff/Nick Nielsen)

“I had a break yesterday, but I did it on Monday and today, and I’ll do it for the rest of the week. On Monday, I made $102.50.” 

That’s just for one person running a stand. At 1901 Barton Drive, three kids from the same neighbourhood, four-year-old Lena, six-year-old Lucas Boyer, and 10-year-old Hudson Lukan run a stand together, and in one day the three of them were able to split $300 worth of profit between them. 

As Lukan explained, they had their stand set up during the lunch and supper rushes and that played a big part in their success, but Boyer quickly added that their new signage was another factor. 

“Yesterday it was kind of, when we didn’t have the signs, it kind of didn’t work out that well, but then when we got the signs, it worked pretty better.” 

Lukan agreed, “Yeah, we made like $200 with the signs and $100 without.” 

“Supper’s on them tonight,” added Lena’s father. 

The group of three all have different plans for the money they’re making. For Boyer, he doesn’t have anything in particular he’s saving for. For Lukan, he’s raising money for an Xbox. For Lena, she’s raising the money so she can try to become powwow princess. 

For Cournoyer, who plans to use the money saved up from his stand this year to buy himself an iPad, it’s his first year running a lemonade stand on his own, but he’s done it with his cousins in the past. Instead of lemonade, he sells iced tea and freezies, and he said that little change came from some success elsewhere earlier this summer. 

“I did an iced tea stand at my lake, Emma Lake, and we made a few bucks, so I thought I could do it here.” 

Following along the footsteps of older family members is another way for kids to get into the lemonade stand business. That’s the case for six-year-old Chantel Cummings, who was running a lemonade stand with the help of her mom Dayna Herman on 1101 1st Street East. 

“Her sister had one the other day, so she kind of wanted to follow along. Almost every year we have one, we try to. She’s pretty good at it. Usually, she has another sister out here with her, but she’s going solo today.” 

The young entrepreneur also has her own signature product that her grandma helped her make.

Six-year-old Chantel Cummings serving her signature blue lemonade at her stand on 1101 1st Street East.
Six-year-old Chantel Cummings serving her signature blue lemonade at her stand on 1101 1st Street East. (Image Credit: paNOW Staff/Nick Nielsen)

“Her grandma came by and said, everyone loves the blue lemonade’.” 

When asked why you should search for his iced tea stand, Cournoyer was ready with his sales pitch. 

“Get your fresh iced tea. It’s cold, yummy, and fresh, and all homemade.” 

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com