Tourist Attractions you would like to see in Calgary

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Originally Posted by speedog

With respect to a farmers' market, what do people consider a true farmers' market? Something like Calgary Farmers' Market or the Kingsland Farmers' Market or the Crossroads Market - which are more food courts with just a few actual farmers there?

Do people want a certified farmers' market in the core - not just a market which allows flea market stuff or resellers like Avon and such? Crossroads is not a certified farmers' market and doesn't call themselves one.

Would people rather have a real outdoor farmers' market that consists of mostly locally grown/produced produce/meats/jams/etc or locally produced artisan products - similar to Calgary's oldest certified farmers' market and also Calgary's largest outdoor seasonal farmers' market (Grassroots Northland since 1992)?

The biggest issue with an outdoor market comes down to the cost of the venue on which one operates a market - it's a very tricky balance between what the landlord charges and what the market charges for stall rent to their vendors. Some of these downtown markets in Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto may very well be getting subsidized rents which makes the whole operation more viable but in Calgary, there currently isn't an availability of open space in the downtown core that is available at an realistic rent that makes an outdoor market feasible. Another problem is that there is already a glut of weekend markets in Calgary & area (Calgary Farmers, Kingsland Farmers, Crossroads, Blackfoot, South Fish Creek, Thorncliffe/Greenview, Inglewood, Bearspaw, Symons Valley, Cochrane, Millarville, Carstairs, Strathmore and Okotoks) - 14 weekend markets is a lot of stall spaces for the number of actual producers/vendors that are available.

Personally, I'd love to see an outdoor certified farmers' market in the core/beltline and probably the best place for it to get a start is from one of the community associations in those areas - problem is that they may not even have the space to do such. Another problem is it's very difficult to get established producers/vendors to give up a market they already may be at in exchange for a new market and or even opening up in a second, new stall at a new market.

Some might wonder how I have some insight with all of this - mostly because of a non-profit organization my wife is involved in runs a certified farmers' market here in Calgary and over the past 7 years, we've gained a lot of insight into what it takes to manage a farmers' market in Calgary. Believe it or not, rent costs versus stall income is a very big factor in the viability of an outdoor farmers' market in Calgary - The Hillhurst/Sunnyside market only just reopened in the past two years as well as the Triwood market. Triwood is still struggling and Sunnyside is only seeing success because of the live entertainment they can offer and the beer gardens as well.

Creating a new, outdoor certified farmers' market in the core/beltline would be a huge undertaking - see the Alberta Farmers' Market Association and the Alberta Approved Farmers' Markets web sites for more details regarding certified farmers' markets.

To be honest, I don't know much about Calgary Farmers Market or Crossroads. I just know those two are the more popular and "bigger" markets. But they're in odd locations and they never have the hype surrounding them like markets in practically every other city, so I haven't been, which is why I've refrained from giving my opinions of either place (aside from their odd locations).

The City Market in Edmonton is the city's oldest market. It started out where the Stanley Milner Library is now, and then I believe it went to the Boardwalk Market Building, until moving into what is now the City Market Art Lofts on 97 St. In 2004, the city decided to move the market outdoors to 104th St to help in the revitalization of that street, which was deemed to have huge potential. In the years since, the market has grown tremendously in popularity and has aided heavily in the revitalization of 104th St. It's now Downtown Edmonton's coolest street, even when the market is off.

For the City Market, they don't really take up any commercial land for their outdoor endeavours because the market happens right on the street, which is closed for a few blocks every Saturday from May long to Thanksgiving. So with that, I'm not sure what kinds of subsidies would be in place because the rent vendors are paying to be apart of the market aren't going to a landlord.

Something like this would work well on Stephen Ave too, especially since it has the benefit of already being closed of to vehicular traffic. I still like the Scarth St idea. The area around Tompkins Park would work too. Keep in mind this market could operate on a weekday or a Sunday, or operate multiple days per week. It doesn't have to be a Saturday market.