Quite a story here, based on a court action against the Yaletown Business Improvement Association brought April 2, 2016 by local business owners who didn’t like the Yaletown Farmers Market blocking their street (Mainland) and reducing parking one day a week from May to October. But the market now has a new and better location — the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza.
According to Eric MacKenzie in 24 Hours.
VFM had to abandon its previous Thursday location at 1200 Mainland St. earlier this year after several area businesses filed a BC Supreme Court petition requesting the market be moved to reduce negative impacts to nearby storefronts.
I’m pleased to see the QE Plaza as home to fresh fruit & veg, artisan treats, sausages and chocolate — among a wide variety of other things. Including this coffee vendor, who told me that he “…bikes his work to work” (Green Coast Craft Coffee).
Memo to Yaletown BIA: do you really want to be seen as the area that killed its cute ‘lil lettuce … what did carrots ever do to you!
(seriously, they can’t be that oblivious to see that this has bad optics)
Thanks for sharing Ken. I sent this to Gord lastnight for my Daily Scot but I guess he’s away? Anyways here was my take:
Last Thursday marked the end of the Yaletown Farmers Market. If you never made the trip, the market was a weekly event running from May to Sept on Mainland Street from Helmeken to Davie. When I moved back to Vancouver 2 years ago it was my favourite discovery in the city, I bragged to my friends overseas that here we have the guts to close streets to traffic in the downtown core during weekdays to create spaces and events for people. Well, we did. The forces of Motordom have won again. Despite being 10 metres from a Canada Line station and 2 bus routes, local businesses complained about the loss of carparks for 4 hours each week. It blows me away why anyone in this city would expect to be able to drive to Yaletown and find a parking spot next to their destination restaurant or shop. Have we lost our way?
http://www.straight.com/news/693746/pushed-out-yaletown-vancouver-farmers-market-moves-queen-elizabeth-theatre-plaza-june-2
Looked at another way there are plenty of nearby open spaces that could have been used. The Roundhouse, David Lam Park, why the need to close a street?
Including Ped aisle access the Farmers Market took up over 16,000 Sq. ft. Way too large for the Roundhouse. Why the need to close an active park like David Lam used by the elementary school and destroy the grass?
Most of the vendors are selling out of vehicles (apart from the coffee bikes and so on). The City property on the south side of the Cambie bridge would work (where the Food Truck Festival was held).
We are sorry to see the market leave Yaletown. We shopped there most weeks it was open. We went up to the market at the QE plaza this week, and since we were there ate out at a restaurant there as well. If Yaletown restaurants don’t want us to spend money in our own neighbourhood, so be it.
The Farmers Market needs a space that allows for expansion and diversification. I’m surprised they don’t take advantage of Crab Park. There is easy access from the Sea Bus Terminal and Gas town for both pedestrians and cars. There could develop a seasonal market that could become a destination downtown.
New, yes, but how do you substantiate better? The old lunation have Yaletown a heart and made it a real cunningly event for the surrounding condos. I’m disappointed in the businesses that forced them out (we’re talking you, Donnelly Group).
Oh jeez, this WordPress template made reading my text as I entered it rather difficult. So please excuse the zillion typos from Android autocorrect.