Last Thursday: best breakfast I’ve had all year. Reason: the Vancouver Farmers Market society was giving their annual briefing at Heritage Hall.
It was worth showing up just for the new potatoes. But also, of course, to hear more about their plans – and they have some big ones.
Farmers market are exploding in popularity all across North America. In fact, they’re often too popular, rapidly outgrowing the temporary spaces (like the Trout Lake Community Centre parking lot) they’ve been occupying and pushing the boundaries of bylaws that never anticipated the revival of what were once essential facilities (Vancouver had three permanent locations at one time).
So now a coalition of interests are coming together to fund-raise for a new city market building. Here’s a conceptual rendering by architect Jay Cassels:
They’re even including space for food processing – something more necessary than ever as farmers lose local and affordable places to sell their produce and as the agri-food industry consolidates its operations in ever larger and more remote facilities. (Did you see the announcement that Starbucks is dropping its local suppliers of pastries so that it can truck in frozen muffins from Ontario? So sustainable of you, Starbucks.)
They don’t yet have a site for the proposed market building, but are looking for locations near SkyTrain. One city staffer thought the EasyPark lot across Terminal from the Main Street/Science World station might be ideal, perhaps something that could be bonused as part of a redevelopment project.
Best of luck to them – and keep those new potatoes coming.
Sounds good.
I would expect that a multi-use space dedicated to a farmer’s market at certain times (specified days/hours/seasons) and more general community uses at other times would be a better use of the space.
I love it. And the Main Street location would be absolutely perfect.
And while Ron has a point, that could require a lot more work to keep it going, as farmers would be required to dismantle booths, shelves, etc. to make it work, and if it looks at all like I’m imagining, maybe similar to the bottom floor of Lonsdale Quay, that could be very impractical.
I can’t recall the permanent locations in Vancouver but I remember making the trip to the New West Farmers Market as a kid.
I’m not clear on the obstacles the VFMS faces in securing space for the markets. I hope all the options for the use of existing open spaces or underused buildings would be explored before the idea of a purpose-built space goes too much further.
This year the Riley Park Market relocated to Thornton Park. From a strictly selfish point of view this is much less convenient for me. Nevertheless, I was surprised and frankly sort of annoyed to find that the booths in the new location were mostly scrunched along the sidewalk and not actually in the park. If it’s necessary (and I don’t doubt that it is) to have a paved surface I don’t understand why that park was chosen. I’d be pleased if someone would enlighten me.
I think the Main st location is a little too rich and probably best left for another function. Personally I think right next to 29th Ave Station, there are some empty lots right next to the train station, plus it’s connected to a large park. There are also some empty lots directly across from Naniamo Station that would be prefect, it also happens to be withing throwing distance of Trout Lake as a bonus. On top of being next to the skytrain, both of these locations are next to the BC Parkway path making them ideal for those trying to avoid driving.
I think it may be difficult for a public market to maintain sufficient traffic to make a continual operation viable – I guess it would depend on the location.
There have been a number of public markets (of the permenent variety) that come to mind that have been less than successful – BridgePoint in Richmond, Westminster Quay (in recent years) and Robson Public Market.
For the vendors under the elevated Metro in Paris – are those stands permanent or temporary?
Farmer’s markets are the best. The one by Trout Lake is great, and I can only hope we will all do our part to create as many as this city can sustain. We need to reverse the trend and begin eating more local food!