The Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) isn’t pleased with the placement of the Sechelt Farmers’ Market and is asking the district for help to resolve a number of issues related to it.
Those issues include the blocking of a “major roadway to downtown Sechelt” for 26 Saturdays a year during “peak tourist season,” direct competition for downtown merchants from market vendors, and the market’s unwillingness to move during SDBA community events like Canada Day.
The Farmers’ Market was granted a three-year lease at its current location at the end of Cowrie Street between Ocean and Shorncliffe avenues from Sechelt council in March, after a public process that included feedback from the SDBA.
SDBA administrator Matt McLean said the concerns of the SDBA were never brought before council, only brought up with staff; however, Mayor Bruce Milne said the concerns were passed on and considered.
“I can confirm that staff held a stakeholders meeting earlier in this process, a number of issues were discussed and referenced in the report and recommendation to council, and, after deliberation, council resolved to enter into the current three-year agreement,” Milne said this week.
“As usual, there are a number of considerations that council must entertain when arriving at compromise decisions that are intended to be in the best interests of the community. Individual interests or perspectives of proponents or others directly involved may not always align with the action that council takes.”
McLean said the SDBA isn’t against the Farmers’ Market, but “the current location just has too many issues,” and he’s hopeful council will help resolve them.
“We’d like council to open up a discussion,” McLean said this week.
“We’re not asking right now for them to shut down the Farmers’ Market – we want the Farmers’ Market – but we feel like there just wasn’t enough discussion. We want a more honest and open discussion, so we’re asking Sechelt council to facilitate that.”
Farmers’ Market president John Byrnes said the current location is perfect for the market, which hosts about 80 vendors every Saturday between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., noting the area is outside the SDBA boundaries and only takes up about 10 per cent (100 metres) of Cowrie Street.
He also said there are other entry/exit points to downtown Sechelt and the roadway is only tied up for about six hours each Saturday it’s in operation.
He said the SDBA asked the market to move for Canada Day and the market refused, about two weeks before the SDBA sent a letter outlining their concerns with the market to council.
“They’ve got all of downtown Sechelt and we’ve just got this section,” Byrnes said, noting he checked out the area proposed by the SDBA to move to and it was “just too small.”
He said he hopes the SDBA can find ways to work with the Farmers’ Market going forward to benefit everyone, but noted the market is not willing to move, as location is key.
“But we’re always willing to talk,” he said.
A letter from the SDBA outlining the group’s concerns was set to be included in the June 21 regular council agenda, past Coast Reporter deadline this week; however, Milne predicted what might happen when it’s considered by council.
“When considering the topic, council may well decide that as much as they support collaborative work on ‘solutions that address the issues,’ sufficient staff time has already been put into this issue and that no further efforts are justified.”
