The end of an era

As Melissa Poirier wandered around Market Square Oct. 27, she couldn't help but feel a little down. The trip to the market she spent three years shopping at would be her last — this weekend marks the seasonal close of the market, and the last ever at the facility currently known as Market Square.

“I'm sad,” Poirier said. “I love coming to the market. I like buying local and I prefer the atmosphere here to the grocery store.”

She said she'll return next year to buy produce, but is disappointed she won't return to the venue at the corner of Elm and Elgin Streets. 

Next year, the market is likely to be located at the CP Rail station on Elgin. 

“We have reached a milestone in the future of our public market and Sudbury’s downtown,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk in a media release Oct. 1.

The agreement is contingent on the completion of several steps to meet requirements for due diligence, including an environmental assessment of soil conditions on the CPR property, it was stated in the press release.

Matichuk praised CP Rail officials and city staff for the negotiations she led over the summer.

“I want to thank CP Rail and city council for sharing in the vision of a public market that will be enjoyed by all residents for many years to come,” she said. “It’s very exciting to be able to move this project, our downtown and our city, forward.”

Carole Holla from Holla's Greenhouses has been bringing her produce to the market for the last 21 years. She began vending when the market was located on Shaughnessy Street, and followed the market to its current home. She said she now has to consider what to do, as no finalized plans have been made yet for the future of the market.

“We have to plan our year for next year,” she said. While it is only part of what the greenhouses do, Holla said it is an important part of how they make money.

“This is part of our livelihood,” she said. 

Gary Lampsa, who has been a market vendor for three years, said the move could bring positive changes, “depending who is making the decisions.”

He said it would be nice to have more room to better showcase his products, and more room for customers.

“I'd like to have a better display than we have here,” he said. 

Today, Oct. 28, is the last official day of business at the Market. It is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Stayed tuned to NorthernLife.ca for more developments on the new home of Market Square.