It's all Canadian at the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market

Walking through the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market on a recent sunny Saturday, it was shoulder-to-shoulder as enthusiastic shoppers squeezed past each other, cloth shopping bags in hand.

Market president Jon Bell, says the event is drawing numbers typically not seen until summer. He’s confident that increase is at least partially due to the recent push to shop Canadian, in light of tariff threats from the U.S.

“It's been just craziness, the number of people coming. We're getting the normal summer numbers earlier,” said Bell. “We've got a lot of people coming from outside of the area, visiting and coming to the farmers market as an event to buy crafts and locally prepared foods. And the farmers aren't even here yet.”

So, while the market’s offerings this month include hand-crafted products of every description, including baked goods, preserves, skin care, crafts, art, cut flowers, rhubarb and mushrooms, it will still be a few weeks until leafy greens make an appearance, followed by fresh fruits and vegetables as summer continues.

The market has also expanded to include a food court, located by the totem poles on the adjacent school property.

“On the weekend, I was selling rhubarb and a few greens that we still grow here and boom, they all went really quickly,” he said. “Our local residents are wanting to buy local and particularly fresh fruit and veg.”

Bell notes, when it comes to shopping Canadian, all vendors are strictly vetted so only Sunshine Coast artisan growers, bakers, makers, foragers and fishers are included, so no need to check for a maple leaf logo. For 2025, more than 100 vendors were approved with some rotating throughout the season.

“You don't need to worry. You don't have to check the labels to see if this is a Canadian product because we insist everything that's here at the market is local. The vendors must be local and they must produce it themselves,” said Bell.

According to the Farmers Market 2023 Economic Impact Study, the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market generates $2.3 million annually. The study notes by having only local vendors, almost all of that revenue stays on the Sunshine Coast.

As for the market’s search for a new home for 2026? Bell says they’ve been working on some solutions and an announcement regarding the fate of the market could be made in the near future. Last fall, the District of Sechelt asked the market’s board to start looking for a new home for the event due to several concerns, including an imminent construction project and access for emergency vehicles.