The West Kootenay Eco Society in Nelson is gearing up for another busy farmer’s market season. The Saturday market kicks off in Cottonwood Falls Park on May 18 and the downtown Wednesday market kicks off on June 12. Once again, the society is asking for some help from the City. Executive Director Montana Burgess approached council this week with a number of suggestions and asks.
One being having the fees waived for both markets, which would save about $7,000 a year. Burgess explained that they’re “run on a shoestring.” The City already helps advertise and promote the markets she added, showing a figure that in 2017 the City used over 20 market images in printed promotional material. Having them officially on board as a partner would help.
Seeing the completion of the Cottonwood Falls Park update would be another benefit for the Eco Society.
“Under the oval we need electricity and water so our prepared food vendors can set up shop there,” said Burgess. “We need the actual park to be finished, so it’s a safe lovely space for families and seniors and people that have mobility issues to get around. We need a stage for the performers to do their thing for the markets and other community events that can take place down there.”
The Eco Society is also proposing a change for the Wednesday markets as the new location on Hall Street wasn’t ideal.
“It was a market that didn’t work as well for the vendors. They didn’t gross as much revenue and it was dangerous,” Burgess explained. “The Baker and Hall intersection wasn’t blocked off, so there’s traffic going through and it feels very dangerous and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens, so that above all is the biggest reason.”
Instead, she suggested the market wrap around the Hall Street Plaza over to Baker and then Josephine, or move it back to the 600 block of Baker Street. There is better visibility at the prior location, according to Burgess; however, the public washroom and other facilities aren’t available in the immediate area.