Town's finance committee throws support behind farmers market

By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

The farmers market that was such a success last summer and fall at the Canadian Tire parking lot will receive support in principle from the Town of Yarmouth.

Marci Melvin and her husband Ron Anaka met with the town's finance committee on Thursday to discuss a request for $7,500, which would provide a weatherproof shelter for the market. Anaka, who owns the local Canadian Tire, is prepared to buy a second structure. He also provides the space for the market, the labour to set up and tear down the market and covers the insurance.

Discussion at the meeting, which lasted about an hour, was roundabout like a farmer plowing his field. But after much debate, some of it heated, all parties left happy.

In his presentation to the finance committee, which includes the mayor and all six councillors, Anaka said they plan to expand the market from 14 weeks to 20 this year. They are also planning to bring in more vendors, have ready-to-eat food on site and music. Anaka said the main goal is to keep the costs of the market to a minimum so that neither farmers nor patrons would be charged a fee.

He also addressed the perception that he, as the owner of Canadian Tire, stands to gain from the venture. "It is good will for Canadian Tire," he said, "but that's not why it was started in the first place . . . The amount of the investment is redundant; it's what you're putting into the community that counts."

However there was some concern from councillors that the group was approaching them in too disorganized a manner. It was stated that unless the market is a registered non-profit organization the town could not give them money. Due to regulations, the town is also unable to give the money to Canadian Tire.

Councillor Murray Judge said he would feel more comfortable if the group was approaching them with a budget and a business plan the way other groups do when making financial requests. "There's a lack of actual structure in this organization," he said. "$7,500 may not sound like much but there's a lot of other groups that could use this."

Melvin and Anaka agreed to approach the other two municipal councils to seek a split of the request.

Councillor Esther Dares said that while she supports the market and wants to see it succeed, $7,500 accounts for almost 10 per cent of the funds they give to organizations each year and is too much for them to handle alone. "We need to be careful (when giving out taxpayers' money)," she said. "I want to help you get where you want to go but it has to be in the confines of what we can do."

Dares also wondered whether or not the market could be moved downtown. She said that while it was a success at Canadian Tire last year, she worried what might happen if Anaka were to move and someone else were to take over the store. Dares, along with Judge and councillor Wally Strickland, also thought having the market downtown might act as a draw to bring more people to that area.

But both Melvin and Anaka said being at Canadian Tire makes sense. Anaka stressed the importance of location, adding that being on Starrs Road next to Highway 101 means the market receives high exposure and traffic. Anaka said a typical Saturday at his store sees 800-1,000 customers walk through the door. And in order to walk through his door those people must also walk by the market.

Mayor Charles Crosby, who pointed out that previous markets on the waterfront and in the town square have not succeeded, agreed that the traffic the market receives on Starrs Road can't be matched anywhere else. "When the strawberry season comes, do you see the strawberry man selling on Main Street? No, you see him up on Starrs Road."

Deputy Mayor Martin Pink, who chairs the finance committee, said the market is more of a benefit to the people of the town than anyone else in terms of the service it provides and its ability to draw people into the area. He said council needs to find a way to work with the market to solve their concerns and issues rather than putting up obstacles. "If we get these (people) coming to our town every Saturday to go to a farmers market then maybe they'll stay in town," he said. "Anything that we can do to replace those tourist from the U.S. — if we can get people from the surrounding area to spend money here then I'm all for it."

Pink called helping the market an act of providing seed money and said it would not only benefit the farmers but all of the merchants in Yarmouth.

The committee passed a motion to send the matter to council saying that they would support up to one third of the cost of the structure.

Following the meeting, both Anaka and Melvin said they were pleased to receive the support of all of the councillors. Anaka said the farmers, who are already planning for the upcoming season, are enthusiastic about what could be. "They're looking forward to having an increased 20-week venue versus 14 weeks," he said. "They're excited about the opportunity to expand."