Keeping an eye on the farmers’ market

City councillors will discuss a plan on Tuesday to have city staff keep an eye on the Peterborough Farmers’ Market to ensure there are no violations of the licensing agreement.

Earlier this month, Town Ward Coun. Dean Pappas put forward a notice of motion that city staff be directed to “monitor” for any possible violations of the agreement between the city and the Peterborough and District Farmers’ Market Association (PDFMA).

Council will be expected to discuss it further at a council meeting on Tuesday (not Monday, due to the Victoria Day holiday).

Under a rental agreement, the PDFMA has exclusive use of part of Morrow Park to operate the Peterborough Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning.

On May 1, five local farmers and artisans were evicted from the market; the PDFMA’s president and director of marketing have not been available for interviews since.

But eviction letters state that the ousted farmers had made disparaging comments about the market and individuals on the board of directors, and they were gossiping and making false allegations.

Meanwhile the market also includes some vendors who resell produce they obtained from elsewhere – such as the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto – without explicit advertising telling customers where the food comes from.

That doesn’t sit well with one citizen, the grandson of the man who bequeathed Morrow Park to the city.

Ian Falkner’s grandfather, Harold Morrow, gave the land to the city about 80 years ago with the understanding it would be used forever as a place to promote Peterborough County’s agriculture.

Falkner told The Examiner recently he’s upset that local farmers are being ousted when resellers can remain.

Coun. Don Vassiliadis won’t participate in Tuesday’s discussion; he declared a pecuniary interest when the notice of motion was brought up, earlier this month, since his family catering business has a booth at the market.

Also on council’s agenda Tuesday:

Charlotte St.

Councillors will vote a final time on a plan to have Charlotte St. redesigned with pedestrians in mind – and to hire the firm AECOM to come up with the detailed drawings.

The $4.5-million reconstruction of Charlotte St. downtown – between Aylmer and Water streets – is expected to give priority to pedestrians, especially in summer.

For example, there will be on-street parking in the winter only; in summer, the parking areas would be blocked off with portable bollards and streets furniture would be set out to create cafe patios.

There will also be other street furniture and new trees placed close to the traffic, and curbs protruding beyond the on-street parking zone.

Secondary suites

Council will vote a final time on a plan to legalize all basement apartments across the city – no rezoning required.

If the plan goes forward, it will mean legalizing apartments within single-family houses, rowhouses or in accessory buildings on a residential property.

City planner Brad Appleby told councillors at a meeting May 14 that the city really has no choice in the matter: under new provincial legislation, cities across Ontario are compelled to allow secondary suites;

Mooring fees

Councillors will vote a final time on a plan to implement a 10 per cent increase in mooring fees at Peterborough Marina in 2019.

They will also vote on a plan to dedicate more slips for those who want to dock their boats for the season.

Right now, 58 of the marina’s 95 slips are set aside for seasonal boaters; that’s 61 per cent.

But a city staff report states there is a waiting list of more than 50 people who’d like to moor their boats for the summer at Peterborough Marina.

Meanwhile there’s plenty of room for transient boaters every summer: they never have to turn anyone away.

That’s why city staff recommends setting aside 70 slips at Peterborough Marina for seasonal boaters instead of 58.

The report also states that the city is charging marginally more than other municipally-run marinas in the area.

It currently costs $2,065 to dock for the summer at Peterborough Marina, for example, compared to $1,820 in Lakefield.

Still, city staff recommends a 10 per cent increase in mooring fees: the demand is so great, the report states, that the market will likely tolerate it.

Stillman Park

Councillors will vote a final time to rename a north-end park after two-time NHL Stanley Cup champion and city native Cory Stillman.

The proposal is to rename Olympus Park on Olympus Ave., where Stillman grew up. It will be called Stillman Park instead.

Stillman, who has coached the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves since last May, is also a co-owner of Firehouse Subs on Lansdowne Street West.

The Stillman family home, where he was raised, is on Olympus Ave. and for many years throughout the 1970s, his family built and maintained the skating rink in the park bordered by Royal Dr.