The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Farmers market move embraced by some, questioned by others
The relocation of the historic Halifax Seaport Farmers Market is being met by mixed reactions from longtime vendors.
On Thursday, vendors received a memo from the Halifax Port Authority that the market “will be reimagined as a dynamic outdoor operation during the warmer months and a successful indoor weekend farmers’ market operating within Pavilion 22 during the winter months.”
Pavilion 22 is located next door to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on the Halifax waterfront.
The new outdoor weekend market is to operate “in a dedicated space near the current location and will include an overhead covering and amenities.”
The change is slated to take place during the spring of 2021, starting in mid-march.
Jane Mason-browne is an illustrator and runs a booth at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market on Sundays. She sells her books, cards and illustrations and has been a vendor at the market for “well over” a decade.
Mason-browne said she’s “actually quite excited” about the market’s relocation.
“I’ve really enjoyed this particular building, I’ve enjoyed looking at the harbour, watching the activity at the harbour, I’ve enjoyed the people who have gone through here as well, but the other building near the Pier 21 museum is another exciting option,” she added.
Mason-browne said she believes having the market outdoors in the warmer months will increase its visibility and that there will likely be more foot traffic since people seem to be more comfortable shopping outdoors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Instead of being tucked away in a building, being outdoors, being visible, being out and about, it’s probably a good thing for the market,” she said.
“So the market will become an anchor to the waterfront and the waterfront area.”
Ashwurks owner Donna Hopper also welcomes the move.
“I had already been making plans to expand my business and the move kind of plays into my plans,” said Hopper, who sells wooden products primarily made from ash at the market five to seven days a week.
“I see it as move No. 15 in the history of the market since 1750, and I think that the market needs change, and this is a big change, and I’m hoping that this infuses excitement into the vendors and into customers and the city.”
Hopper noted COVID-19 restrictions have “drastically reduced our traffic” at the market and believes foot traffic will increase depending on “how we present ourselves” at the new location.
“I love the vision of the outdoor market with the big European style tent and lights. To me, it’s a romantic vision and it’ll be interesting how they make that happen, but I can’t wait to see change because what’s happening now isn’t working very well,” she added.
While the change is being embraced by some, others like Jim Legge are not on the same page.
Legge and his wife Kathy have been selling handmade sheepskin mittens, slippers, hats and coats, among other products, at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market for about 10 to 15 years.
Over the years, Legge said there have been many changes at the market that have negatively impacted vendors. For one, he said craftspeople were forced to move to the upper level of the building at some point, which cut his business by half.
Then, he and his wife were only allowed to sell their products on Sundays as opposed to Saturdays and Sundays.
Legge said the number of vendors also shrunk over the years, thereby decreasing the flow of customers “drastically.”
“It was alive, it was danc
ing,” he recalled from the market’s earlier days.
Legge is reluctant to move into the new market location and said “going down there depends on the rules,” which have not yet been laid out. He also fears his products will be ruined if they’re out on display on wet and windy days.
“From their point of view, it’s a good move. From the vendors’ point of view, it’s a bad move,” he added.
Once the farmers’ market is relocated, the Halifax Seaport Market Building will be renamed The PIER and will be transformed into a “living lab for the transportation industry,” according to the Port of Halifax. PIER stands for Port Innovation, Engagement & Research.
The Port of Halifax memo notes that The PIER will include “leased storefront spaces for retail/eateries,” who will enjoy weekday traffic from those working at the living lab and traditional weekend farmers’ market customers. The port authority says this will “further activate the area and help draw more people to the historic Halifax Seaport District.”