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Islanders packed into the temporary location for the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market Saturday, marking the first day operating on North River Road in the former Sporting Intentions space.
The market’s usual home was heavily damaged by a fire on Christmas Day.
Customers and vendors say they’re happy to see the market running again, but noted some growing pains will need to be sorted out.
Sarah Briggs, a frequent customer, said she likes the openness of the space and called it astonishing how quickly the market relocated.
“It feels great, makes me really happy, and I like that I can see all of the vendors again and talk to them,” she said.
Sarah Briggs, a regular customer at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, says she was surprised how quickly a new location was secured. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)Growing into the new space
Briggs said one downside to the new location is there’s some confusion over where the entrance is and where to park.
Travis Cummiskey, president of the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, said they’ve added some staff to direct drivers in the parking lot.
“It’s been pretty good since then, but it’s growing pains,” he said.
Cummiskey said they hope to back in the permanent location before the end of the year.
Cummiskey said the new location doesn’t have full electricity options and not all vendors have their lighting set up yet, but he hopes that will improve.
Travis Cummiskey, president of the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, says the market is working with the landlord at the new building to accommodate food vendors and allow all vendors to have access to electrical plugs for things like lighting. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)
He said January is typically pretty slow for the farmer’s market, so with the fire, they weren’t sure what to expect.
“Starting out only with a limited number of vendors, and being at a different location, we’re happy with the turnout today,” said Cummiskey.
He said the landlord has been working with the market to add things such as additional electrical plugs and vents for food vendors.
He hopes these things are in place by mid-February.
Makena Tarichia, owner of Out of Africa, had to make her samosas at home, rather than on site because of the absence of vents.
Makena Tarichia, owner of Out of Africa, says she sold out of food. She hopes there will be proper ventilation soon for food vendors to cook on site. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)
“I love having my samosas done right on site, so people can have them nice and crispy, but now we have to do them from home,” she said.
But customers purchased all that she brought, for which she was grateful.
Tarichia said she’d been a vendor at the other building for 23 years.
‘It’s like a miracle,’ says vendor
Tarichia said she expected it would take two or three months to find a new space for the market.
“Two weeks later and we are here, we are doing this, like, it’s like a miracle,” she said.
Darren Matheson, owner of Trout River Pottery, likes the new space’s esthetic.
Darren Matheson, owner of Trout River Pottery, says he was able to save some of his products after the Christmas Day fire. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)
“It sort of suits the market feel, I think. And it’s only going to get better as we work out the way through fitting everybody in here,” he said.
Matheson said he was fortunate that his products can resist heat and recovered some of his pottery after the fire.
“My pottery goes through an intense firing situation anyway, so temperature was not really an issue to affect my work,” he said.
“A lot of the members, more than myself lost a lot more. A lot of machinery and refrigeration and equipment were all lost, so there’s a lot of recouping having to be done.”