Revitalization Farmers' Market Reopening Delayed By RTH Staff

Published January 19, 2011

this blog entry has been updated

The City of Hamilton has delayed the planned re-opening of the Farmers' Market from January 21 back to February 1 to complete plumbing work and undertake health inspections in the new space.

The decision was made yesterday in a meeting with city staff and the Market Stallholders' Association, when it was made clear that the remaining work could not be completed in the two days remaining before the scheduled re-opening date.

The last day the market was open in the old location was Saturday, January 8. According to Ann Lamanes in the City's Culture Department, staff had recommended three weeks for the move but the stallholders pushed for a shorter time-frame to minimize lost business.

Health regulations at the permanent Market require working sinks at every stall. The Public Health Department cannot inspect the stalls until the plumbing connections to the sinks are completed.

Starting on February 1, the Market hours of operation will be:

Farmers' Market Hours of Operation Weekday Open Close Tuesday 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Thursday 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Friday 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Saturday 6:00 AM 6:00 PM

Update: Culture Director Anna Bradford has provided more context on the decision to delay the reopening.

RTH asked whether it would be possible for the stallholders to stay open in the old space until the new space is available. Bradford responded that nearly everything has already been moved and that in any case, "the lease ends at the end of January."

She explained that the delay is related to issues with the vents and grease receptors in the stall sinks.

As for the Market hours of operation, Bradford noted that the times have not changed in many years. She added that the City and the Stallholders' Association may reconsider the hours "sometime in the future."

You can read about Raise the Hammer.

31 Comments Read Comments

Post a Comment

You must be logged in to comment.