The City of Burlington has been struggling for a few years with bringing the IDEA of a downtown farmers market to life. There have been requests for proposals that have gone out. Returned. Feasibility studies done. Reviewed. The time passes ... no market emerges. Now I'm SURE there's a tonne of reasons (good, bad or otherwise) why this hasn't materialized. And thankfully there are a number of not-for-profit groups that have for YEARS run farmers' markets in the parking lot of our local mall (thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, you have helped me become the foodie-nerd that I am today!) But with the growth of the downtown core, and the increasing demand for healthy, local food ... us foodie-nerds shake our heads and wonder WHY!?!?! WHY can't we make the downtown core more vibrant? WHY is the city stalling? Our Ward councillor keeps bringing the topic up at meetings and in her newsletters (thank you!) ... *sigh* ...<pause> Oh dear ... I'm getting all political now ...
It's taken a downtown small business to bring us "downtowners" a summer farmers market. This AMAZING local business has brought together some of the areas best farmers together under one roof ... errrr, one parking lot?!?!? Centro Market has done what City Hall has yet to do - HOORAY SMALL BUSINESS! DOUBLE HOORAY FOR CENTRO!!!
