Calgary Farmers’ Market putting down new roots
The Calgary Farmers’ Market has announced plans for a second location, to be built on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway across from WinSport.
The new 50,000-square-foot location, set to open in the spring of 2020, will be known as Calgary Farmers’ Market West and has been part of the organization’s long-term vision for years, the board of directors said Thursday.
“It’s always been something we’ve had in the back of our mind. But you need to crawl and walk before you run,” said Rod Bradshaw, owner of Innisfail Growers and president of the Calgary Farmers’ Market. “Then this opportunity came up and we said, ‘we can’t afford to let this go.’ ”
The market will be part of Greenwich — a new, master-planned community by Melcor Developments. The 59-acre development, located between 83rd Street N.W. and Stoney Trail, will accommodate approximately 1,200 multifamily homes, 100,000 square feet of retail and dining, and 200,000 square feet of office space.
Bradshaw said the opportunity to have a new, purpose-built building in a greenfield area was appealing to board members.
“To renovate is never an easy thing, so the opportunity to get in on the ground floor with this developer was exciting,” he said.
The existing market, at Blackfoot Trail and Heritage Drive S.E., opened in 2011. At the time, some vendors and members of the public were critical of the location choice, complaining that the former Currie Barracks location was more central and easier to reach from all quadrants of the city.
Sharla Dube — who operates The Cherry Pit — said the current location is now thriving.
It attracts a million visitors per year, a 10-per-cent increase from when it opened, but in spite of its popularity the market is still not easily accessible to all Calgarians.
“With this second location, there are going to be some growing pains, too,” she said. “But we’ve realized we can’t reach the northwest communities of Calgary. Those customers come maybe once a month, once every couple of months, even though they love our farmers’ market.”
Gord Fontaine of Soffritto — which has been selling fresh pasta, premium olive oil and balsamic vinegar at the Calgary Farmers’ Market for three-and-a-half years — said he is asked almost every day by customers if Soffritto has expansion plans. “A second (farmers’ market) location is very much needed.”
Approximately three-quarters of the 75 existing vendors at the Calgary Farmers’ Market have committed to opening booths at the new location, Bradshaw said. The Calgary Farmers’ Market will be accepting applications from other interested vendors until Sept. 30.