New Saskatoon local market operators feel 'pure joy' after city council's lease approval

The inside of the Farmers' Market Building at River Landing in Saskatoon is stripped to its barebones, with wires dangling from the roof, but come May 2023 its expected to be a bustling local farmers' market.

Ideas Inc., a Saskatoon non-profit, publicly announced the Gather Local Market Tuesday morning in a social media post, following Saskatoon city council's unanimous passing Monday of the organization's proposed five-year lease for the city-owned space at 19th Street W. and Avenue B S.

Tanner Michalenko, community manager of Ideas Inc., said he felt "pure excitement and pure joy" knowing the market was "coming to life."

"It's going to be pretty cool to actually eat something from some of our city'sfinest culinary talents, have a beer, have a cocktail and grab your essential grocery items and grab some other artisan products that are pretty unique to Saskatoon," saidMichalenko.

"We want it to be a place where you come and you gather and you stay."

It is expected to open with30 farmers' market summervendors and then, inside, 16 retailers, eight restaurants, six distilleries and breweries, and a licensed bar, all of which will be local.

He said his company took its favourite parts of markets across the country to develop Saskatoon's own style, likening it to The Forks Market in Winnipeg.

The vendors inside the building are expected to be on year-round leases, rather than pop-ups.

Since posting about the local market, Michalenko said his company hasreceived "hundreds" of people expressing interestboth as customers and vendors.

We're really thrilled this is moving ahead.- Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, co-owner of prospective vendor Black Fox Farm and Distillery

Ideas Inc. intends to develop the market to allowpatrons to wander the area with alcoholic drinks rather than be restricted to certain vendors when drinking something he said hasn't been done in Saskatoon before.

"It's not going to be 19-plus, it will be family-friendly, but adults are going to be able to enjoy local beverages and consume them on-site and walk throughout the building as they're shopping, as they're grabbing a bite to eat," he said.

The plan is for the marketto be open Tuesday to Sunday, with hours varying by season.

Vendorexcited for new market

Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, co-founder and co-owner of Black Fox Farm and Distillery in southwest Saskatoon, said she sees the new marketas a chance to draw in the community to showcase local Saskatchewan companies and ingredients.

She's one of the about 10 prospective vendors for the market who have publicly voiced their interest, although she said contracts can't be signed until after the lease is officially signed.

Stefanyshyn-Cote said anticipation for the new market has been growing.

"We're really thrilled that this is moving ahead,"Stefanyshyn-Cote said.

"There are so many other cities in the world that have somethingsimilar to what's being proposed and that's why I think it can only be positive."

Filling the emptyspace

In late 2018, the city started putting pressure on the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, a co-op that had been the building's tenant since 2007, to remain open six days a week rather than the three days it had been.

At the time, it had about 100 seasonal vendors and 60 year-round vendors.

The operations manager said it would be difficult to do. In December 2019, the co-op was given the boot.

Saskatoon Farmers' Market now operates out of a space about a two-minute drive from the airport. The original space went vacant for several years.

Michalenko told CBC News the Gather Local Market won't be formally connected with the previous tenants, but that anyone has an opportunity to participate and collaborate with the new area.

The city began negotiating with Ideas Inc. in February 2020, but those talks were paused by the financial impacts caused by COVID-19.