Outdoor market launches season
Wilfred Sutherland already had an armful of baked goods by the time he got to Terry Eastman’s stall at the Wilson Square Community Market.
It was just about closing time at the market in downtown Prince George Saturday afternoon but Sutherland still had room in his bag for some of Terry’s Fresh Hot Bannock. Hot out of the frying pan, dipped in sugar and cinnamon, it was a taste bud test of willpower for Sutherland and John George, his friend from Nak’azdli, not to eat all that bannock on the spot.
Sutherland has two daughters in the city and he wanted them to sample the sweet goodies he bought from the vendors who set up on a warm breezy day in front of the Prince George Courthouse for the market’s season-opening first day of business.
Sutherland says he likes to visit openair markets from Prince George to Terrace and he made the drive in Saturday from the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation reserve near Fort St. James. He quipped that he’s been cooped up at home for so long, self-isolating from the pandemic, that the walls were starting to change colour on him, so he figured it was time to leave the house.
“I like anything that’s fresh,” said Sutherland. “This is a different market, I usually go to the one that’s two blocks up and every weekend it’s usually there. But with this (virus) situation going on, it’s a miracle to see this.”
Eastman has been a market vendor for 16 years and said business at her stall was a bit slow. Probably due to the fact it was opening day, many shoppers were unaware the market was open for business.
Maria Pennock, president of the Wilson Square Community Market, said her group just got the go-ahead from the city last week to open and about nine vendors showed up to sell their baking, honey, meat, vegetable plants, dog treats and, in Pennock’s case, homemade tortilla chips and salsa.
This year, there are a few restrictions in place to encourage social distancing. All stalls are kept two metres apart and must have a designated entrance and exit for exit for customers. Several sanitizing stations are set up along the sidewalk to encourage hand washing.
“We just actually got permission (to open) as of Wednesday and there was a lot of going back and forth as to if we could or couldn’t,” said Pennock. “People are excited that it’s open. A lot of people were like, ‘We were driving by and we were so happy to see you guys here.’
“This was the first day and everybody wanted to test it out and see. We’ll probably have between 20 and 30 vendors here, depending on if we have to keep doing the two-metre spacing. The washup stations worked out really well.”
Jaunita Dalziel took over her sister Margaret McMorrow’s homemade soup mix stall six years ago when she died of cancer.
She retained most of Margaret’s Soup Factory recipes and calls her business Sister’s Soup Company.
She had a steady trickle of customers who, like Sutherland, were looking for an excuse to get outside and be sociable again, even if it meant they had to follow a few new rules.
“I think it went really well,” said Dalziel. “I think a lot of people were conscious about social distancing. They would start to come up to my table and then realize what they were doing and they’d back up a little bit. I think it was very respected. I think people loved getting out. The first day wasn’t screaming busy but I think once the word gets out, we will be.”
The Wilson Square Community Market is open on Saturdays during the warmweather months from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.