Collingwood Farmers’ Market will open this Saturday, June 27.
Deputy Mayor Keith Hull announced the market opening after council voted unanimously in support of giving the Collingwood Downtown BIA $5,500 to help open the market with new COVID-19 controls in place.
The BIA sent a request for $14,000 to the town to cover the cost of renting fencing, hiring security guards, and buying PPE.
A staff report, however, recommended giving the BIA $5,500.
“The BIA is accountable for managing their own market,” said Collingwood CAO Sonya Skinner. “We looked at if the town should pay for all the COVID costs. Staff propose it would be fair and reasonable … for the town to pay 50 per cent of the costs.”
Council supported the $5,500 contribution without discussion.The money will come from the $2.5 million COVID relief fund council set aside from the proceeds of selling the airport and COLLUS utility
The town already provides in-kind support to the farmers’ market by offering the parking lot space for free, marketing support, and garbage collection.
Based on the proposal originally submitted by the BIA, the farmers’ market will be food vendors only, and about half the usual vendor capacity. There will be entrances and exits supervised by a security guard, and only one person per household will be allowed to enter the market. All attendees must wear masks, and if you don’t have one, one will be provided at the entrance.
The first hour of the market will be reserved for seniors and those picking up pre-orders.
Pet dogs will not be permitted in the market.
A post on the Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ Market page states the market will be “very different” this year and asks those who attend the market to “respect physical distancing and bring a facemask with you.”
The entrance to the market will be on Pine Street, and the market will still be set up in the Pine Street parking lot. There will be arrows guiding shoppers through the market one way only.
For more details on how the market will operate this year, you can check the Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ Market Facebook page.
