Special Report

Market Committee Decision on Stallholder Apeals

The Hamilton Farmers' Market Transition Sub-committee released its decision on appeals filed by vendors who were not granted space in the renovated market.

By Joey Coleman
Published December 20, 2010

this article has been updated

The Hamilton Farmers' Market Transition Sub-committee released its decision on appeals filed by vendors who were not granted space in the renovated market.

Many of the appeals were from current market vendors who were not granted space in the renovated market which, due to facility improvements and a new community kitchen, did not have as many stalls as prior to the renovations.

In total, the committee heard 13 appeals with one vendor dropping their appeal.

Council approved six of the appeals with two of the vendors being located in the renovated market and four to be located in a new market annex to be located in the food court of Hamilton City Centre.

The six approved vendors are:

Two more vendors were approved subject to the availability of space in the new City Centre location:

Two vendors were declined as their applications were received after deadline:

The application from Taste of India was declined "as the products do not meet the requirements of goods as per the Market By-law," Saji Kollanthara of Woodpecker Handicraft Gallery was declined "as the imported crafts he is proposing to sell are not crafts made locally," and Hat Huynh of The Living Kitchen submitted an incomplete application.

With the decision, the transitional sub-committee has completed its task and will not meet again. The renovated market will reopen in the new year.

Update: A few readers have asked about Julia Serna Colombian coffee. Apparently, she was offered a contract before the official appeals process and will be returning to the market. --Ed.

Joey Coleman covers Hamilton Civic Affairs.

Read more of his work at The Public Record, or follow him on Twitter @JoeyColeman.

8 Comments

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By jason (registered) | Posted December 20, 2010 at 18:26:41

interesting. thanks for the updates. What ever happened to Julia Serna, the Colombian Coffee lady??

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By mystoneycreek (registered) - website | Posted December 20, 2010 at 18:37:20

I feel rather awkward saying what I'm going to say here, mostly because I fervently believe in Downtown Hamilton revitalization and all that this process would mean to the city as a whole. However...

The Downtown Farmers' Market is not the only opportunity for business people for whom the Market setting is ideal. That is, there are are other parts of the Hamilton area that desperately need this kind of feature, that could support this kind of feature, where vendors would unquestionably thrive. The landscape is changing, and those entrepreneurs who have patience, and their wits about them may very well find ways to create the success they crave. These other environments may not be as 'ideal' as the Downtown Farmers' Market location...or they may in fact present even greater opportunities.

Downtown Hamilton is not the only game in town...if you're prepared to search out and establish brand new playing fields.

Comment edited by mystoneycreek on 2010-12-20 17:49:39

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By jason (registered) | Posted December 20, 2010 at 18:51:55

What I do know is that Downtown Hamilton is not the only game in town...if you're prepared to establish brand new playing fields.

I find this kind of funny or ironic coming from someone in stoney creek. the only game in town? LOL For over 2 decades the powers that be have pretended that downtown doesn't even exist. Now you're worried that we're the only game in town?
Maybe I misread you, but I had to chuckle at that statement. I wish we would stop establishing brand new playing fields and rebuild what we have first. Seems that all we've done my entire lifetime is 'establish new playing fields' out in your neck of the woods and elsewhere.

anyhow, your post is well taken. I was just caught by surprise at that ending statement :)

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By mystoneycreek (registered) - website | Posted December 20, 2010 at 18:57:57

@ jason

Precisely why I prefaced my comment the way I did. Because I was born in Hamilton, have lived in it for sizable chunks of my life, seen it in good times and bad over the better part of a half-century.

Let me re-iterate: I believe in a re-imagined, resurgent Downtown Hamilton. But I also believe in the truth that the Downtown Farmers' Market is not the only opportunity for these sorts of vendors.

Is this a dichotomy? Not at all. Email me if you want further clarification.

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By jason (registered) | Posted December 20, 2010 at 19:06:16

no, sounds good. I guess I've just never heard anyone say that 'downtown isn't the only game in town'. haha.
You're exactly right. I like all of the new farmers markets that have been popping up all over town in the past few years. cheers

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By Really (anonymous) | Posted December 20, 2010 at 21:53:54

Echoes of Councillor Brad Clark, who, instead of actually helping the market vendors through the process, offered denied vendors the opportunity to set up shop in Stoney Creek....This was censured as a conflict of interest, btw..
IMHO, the question of development, whether in downtown Hamilton, Stoney Creek, or otherwise, is a secondary point in the actual procedural question of reinstating vendors who had been put through an applications process in order to present a thinly-veiled attempt to cover up poor planning, when they were guaranteed a spot in the renovated (not new) market. This is not a question of "what can vendors do for the city (or certain parts of it) but "what does the city need to do for its Farmers' Market vendors?" who it swept aside. I'm glad the city showed some sense in this decision.

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By mrjanitor (registered) | Posted December 20, 2010 at 22:29:55

Council approved six of the appeals with two of the vendors being located in the renovated market and four to be located in a new market annex to be located in the food court of Hamilton City Centre

Has a lease been signed already? If it has does anybody have the details on it?

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By Undustrial (registered) - website | Posted December 20, 2010 at 23:35:00

Here's a short list of places more markets could easily take place, or already do.

  1. Parking lots
  2. All those school fields we keep selling off on the mountain.
  3. Former school fields in the lower city.
  4. Vacant brownfields
  5. Confederation Park
  6. Any of the numerous public golf courses
  7. Rooftops (take your pick)
  8. Proposed (but not yet started) development sites like the Thistle Club
  9. Vacant but not 'derelict' buildings in need of occupancy (schools, office buildings etc)
  10. Keystone properties (like the Connaught) in need of "special events" to draw attention
  11. Sidewalks (where all of this begins)
  12. Streets (closed for special events)
  13. Public buildings (schools, city hall etc) closed on weekends or for the holidays
  14. Churches
  15. The Harbourfront

I love problems like the horribly inefficient use of urban space because they're so easy to solve. Two words: use it. All of these options, and more, could work for many other accessible, cheap and attractive uses; gardens, parks, musical venues or miniature golf courses. Richard Florida may attribute success to a creative "class", but I prefer to see things more simply: success is a product of creativity all classes. These spaces are here, and disuse isn't being kind to them.

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