New Douro farmers’ market opposed

Leahy’s Farm and Market objects to Optimist Club plan

Plans for a new farmers’ market outside the Douro Community Centre have stalled after the operator of a nearby family-run farm market objected before Douro-Dummer Township council on Tuesday.

The Optimist Club of Douro-Dummer wants to operate a Saturday morning farmers’ market from June to September.

It would take place in the large grassy area next to the arena at Highway 28 and County Rd. 4.

There would be 50 local farmers and artisans selling their products, explained Optimist Club member Marc Trudeau to councillors at a meeting on Tuesday.

He also said all vendors’ fees would be donated to local sports teams for kids.

“The goals are simple,” Trudeau said. “Raise funds for the sports clubs in our community to support the kids, and offer producers and sellers a place to showcase their goods.”

But Doug Leahy, who operates Leahy’s Farm and Market on private property nearby, told council on Tuesday that he objects.

He couldn’t understand why council would allow a commercial enterprise set up shop on municipally owned property when his family went to great care and expense to secure commercial zoning for their market at the farm at County Rd. 33 and Highway 28.

“There were hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to run a legitimate business,” Leahy told councillors. “We don’t try to pretend to own that road, but we’ve certainly earned the right to do business on it.”

While the Optimist Club wants to start their market as soon as possible, they need township council’s permission to use the community centre green space, parking lot and building (for washroom access for customers and vendors).

They didn’t get that permission on Tuesday: council voted to have township staff consider the request and produce a report for council’s next meeting on June 19.

Trudeau thinks the Optimist Club could raise between $5,000 and $7,000 per season from the market for kids’ sports.

Leahy told council his parents started their farm market 40 years ago as a stand for selling homegrown sweet corn.

He told councillors he doesn’t object to competition, but 50 stalls constitutes “big business” operated on municipally owned land.

“If it’s a commercial business it should be held on commercial lands,” he said, adding that the market might attract businesses from outside Peterborough County.

“Is council here to protect its taxpayers or to help showcase businesses from other communities?” he asked.

Trudeau said no prospective vendors have applied yet, because they don’t have permission to use the community centre lands.

Coun. Ray Johnston, who said he’s an Optimist Club member, said he doesn’t support allowing any new market to compete with families such as Leahys.

“I’m dead-set against competing against them — 100 per cent,” he said, adding that as long as a new market is selling produce he’s “totally against it”.

Coun. Tom Watt called it a tough decision for council.

“These people (the Leahys) jumped through hoops for years and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “Where’s the fairness in that?”

Mayor J. Murray Jones told councillors they might want to make a decision, however.

“We can’t put our heads in the sand,” he said.

But in the end council voted to ask township staff to review the information about the application for a new farmers’ market and report back to council on June 19.