Market at Canada’s center finds success in first year

A farmers market at the Centre of Canada Park finished its first summer on a high note, after a record number of vendors showed up.

The market ended the season on Aug. 22 and saw 35 vendors, varying from local veggie growers to potters. The park, located at the longitudinal centre of Canada, hosted the market five times this summer.

Martha Petrusevich, economic development officer for the RM of Taché, said the success of the market’s debut year has spurred ideas for future events, such as a Christmas market. For its last date before closing, the market also included a bouncy castle among other activities for kids.

“People love it. It’s an event out when they go to the cottage,” she said. “The kids play and burn off energy while the parents’ shop, and then they all continue to the cottage.”

She said local makers also appreciate having the space because they can connect to community and local people more. Since the RM owns the site, Petrusevich said the goal was to find a way to bring people to the area and generate more revenue. The first market was held at the park on June 27, and it happened every two weeks throughout summer. The demand for the market grew so much that Petrusevich opened the market two hours earlier because people were showing up before vendors were set up.

Kathy Mckay came to the market with her two grandsons, after they spotted the bouncy castle in the distance. The 70-year-old lives just over 400 metres away and was glad to see the market grow at “such a special spot.”

“Someone is always stopped here. When we drive by, there’s always cars from all over the country and they think its special,” McKay said. “Why would we not think its special?”

Nestled among the other stalls, Vivian Bott sells her signature vintage teapot birdhouses. It’s her best-selling product and brings Bott joy every time she builds one.

“It’s the fact that you can put something together that bring happiness to people,” she said. “And I just love birds.”

The birdhouses consist of reclaimed wood, a hanging teapot and accompanying teacup on the bottom. Customers sometimes supply their own teapots for the birdhouses, she said, and often share stories and memories of their families with each project.

Bott, who’s from Vita, set up at the park’s market three times this summer, and said its helped her connect with other vendors and new customers that she typically wouldn’t see near to home.

The market has created a sense of camaraderie between fellow vendors and has become a space to exchange ideas and inspiration, she said.