Neighbourhood farmers' markets booming in Edmonton

Talk about revitalization in Edmonton and much of the spotlight focuses on the building of the Rogers Place sports and entertainment arena, as well as the highrises stretching up in the city core. But another form of civic rejuvenation is taking place, literally at a grassroots level – neighbourhood farmers' markets.

Neighbourhood farmers' markets are now beginning to dot the municipal map as go-to destinations for locals. With the addition of the 124 Street Grand Market just northwest of downtown, the French Quarter on the south side and another one in Windermere in the city’s southwest corner within the past year, neighbourhood farmers' markets currently number 12. That’s double what existed three years ago – not too shabby for a city with less than one million residents, considering Toronto — Canada’s largest city — has about 30.

Amy Hayduk, assistant marketing director and events coordinator with the 124 Street Grand Market, located in the Westmount neighbourhood, likes the fact that the movement towards purchasing local foods has fostered the existence of the market where she works.

“As a member of the community, I feel passionate about farmers' markets, because we have great restaurants and great shops, but there’s not necessarily any place to buy groceries close by that’s walkable,” she says. “That really helps with the neighbourhood’s vitality, especially with having accessibility to local fresh food. It animates the neighbourhood and brings out people who might not otherwise come by.”

Farmers' markets are nothing new in the Alberta capital. The City Market Downtown has been around since 1903, one year before Edmonton was officially declared a city. With more than 150 vendors serving nearly 30,000 customers every Saturday, the City Market Downtown remains the granddaddy of them all. It’s rivalled only by the Old Strathcona Farmers Market, which opened in 1983 and with 130 vendors, brings in roughly 10,000 people every week.

What is new, however, is that more recent markets don’t have designated facilities and exist in pop-up fashion, either occupying a parking lot at a mall or a barricaded street once a week. Whatever form they take, Wendi Freudenreich, a local realtor, believes the presence of these markets adds to a neighbourhood’s appeal by increasing walk score, a measurement that calculates walkable distances to amenities in the area.

“Markets would substantially increase the desire to be in that neighbourhood based on walk scores,” says Freudenreich. “Markets would also increase a community feel and vibe. That’s a trend in general in eating and shopping, so it appeals to trendier and younger people in neighbourhoods.”

While Freudenreich cautions that some markets may spur complaints about barricaded streets preventing locals from parking their vehicles and increases the potential for noise and litter on resident lawns, Hayduk says organizers do what they can to mitigate these concerns.

“We do try to be respectful and treat the area like it was our backyard,” she says. “Because for some of us, it is!”

Photo by Stephen Sereda

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