“There is a clear need and desire for a fish and farmers market in the downtown. While there are a number of locations that could accommodate such a facility, the ground floor of the barn at the corner of Hawthorn and Forest seems to offer all the right things for success: ample space that could spill outside in the summer, lots of indoor room with the rustic character to look like a market, ample parking nearby and it is currently vacant,” proposed Ekistics Planning & Design in the Yarmouth Downtown Blueprint draft plan.
Something that’s been overlooked, however, is the fact that vendors belonging to the farmers market that has operated in Yarmouth since 2006 have no interest in moving downtown, says chair Brian Noble.
“I certainly wasn’t approached as chair of the farmers market committee. I don’t think any of the vendors were approached,” said Noble, who added that their group recently held a meeting in which the topic was brought up.
“I would say that the general consensus of the meeting is that we are extremely happy where we are now. We’ve run a very successful market for three years with it expanding each year,” he said.
The seasonal market (June – Oct.) is held in a tent on Saturdays (and last year on some Thursday evenings as well) in the Canadian Tire parking lot. There are close to a dozen vendors. The tent was funded in part by the Municipality of Yarmouth and Town of Yarmouth with the owner of Canadian Tire donating the bulk of the funds as well as the parking lot space.
Vendor Kevin Hamilton sells organic poultry. He is adamant about not moving downtown.
“It isn’t going to work downtown. I don’t know how many times us farmers have got to tell people that a farmers market won’t work there.
“There’s been three down there – one in the building just above that Hawthorn building at one time right behind the Clipper Ship, one in the Royal Store, and another one that’s not there anymore.
“There’s nobody going downtown other than going to a bank, an insurance company or a lawyer’s office, and they’re all closed on Saturday,” said Hamilton.
“I’d prefer that they’d quit yakking about downtown and give us some money to build one by the Mariners Centre,” he said.
“This (downtown) is going to be a golden opportunity, there’s going to be money for development downtown, there’s going to be money for farmers markets." - Mayor Phil Mooney
A 2008 study that was funded 75 per cent by the Economic Development department through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency recommended the Mariners Centre as a good location for a new farmers market.
The farmers market planning committee submitted a business plan for a $900,000 Agrifood infrastructure grant towards this goal but did not receive the funds.
Noble points out that at the market’s present location in the parking lot, upwards of 800 people can access the market on their way to Canadian Tire.
“I just don’t think you’re going to have that kind of traffic downtown unless there is a massive reason to draw people there and I certainly don’t see that coming in the first part of the whole thing,” said Noble.
He added that although a permanent structure adjacent to the Mariners Centre is their hope, vendors would prefer to stay where they are rather than move downtown.
“Here we have a market in a Canadian Tire parking lot that has been successful for three years going into our fourth and we’re just stumped by the fact that people keep saying we want you to go downtown,” he said.
Mayor Phil Mooney maintains hope that the group would eventually embrace a move to the barn on Hawthorn Street, once ready. He says there is a limited window of opportunity on the Mariners Centre location for them and that he thinks there are other uses for that property.
“This (downtown) is going to be a golden opportunity, there’s going to be money for development downtown, there’s going to be money for farmers markets.
“I think the problem before was that they got away from the true farmers market and ended up as a flea market.”
“I don’t know if those people actually had a look at the conceptual drawing for Hawthorn Street. If we get a boat (ferry) back, the tourist bureau down at the other end, you’re going to have plenty of parking down there, a nice promenade and sidewalk. It’s a great opportunity for a farmers market in an old type building,” he said.
