It's a typical Saturday afternoon at Market Square in Sudbury with a throng of people strolling casually throughout the indoor facility. There's a lineup at one of the baked goods booths and the tables and chairs are full with those sipping a hot drink or getting a bite to eat. Outside, customers mill about the vendors offering fresh produce for sale, while others linger to talk to friends, most with bags laden with local wares.
The facility opened 10 years ago at Elm and Elgin Streets and a former CPR shed was renovated. With some FedNor funding, the total cost of the project was close to $3 million. The city-owned property has been chosen as the preferred location for Laurentian University's School of Architecture which would open in 2013 and a decision is expected this fall.
But despite its unknown future, it's business as usual for Market Square vendors.
Christine Koltun, owner of Christine's Ceramics, is a bundle of energy as she wraps and packages her wares just purchased by customers. She is also busy engaging the public by greeting friends or making new ones who stop to admire her products.
“If it wasn't for Market Square, I would still be a forest firefighter with the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources),” she said. “This created a full-time job for me.”
She sells on weekends from the time the market opens in June until it closes in October. During the week, she makes more of her items. But she sees more potential in the facility with an expanded season of operation from March to December.
“With only 44 days of being open, there is close to $1 million worth of revenue coming in and 65,000 people coming through,” she said. “If it were open from March to December, we might have 565,000 people visiting and $8 million in revenue being generated.”
The outdoor deck, where the fresh produce is being sold, could be used for the seasonal sale of Christmas trees and outdoor decorations, she suggested.
“There is so much that could be done here and it needs to be marketed more,” she said.
A new location would have to be the same size or bigger.
“We have 193 parking spots here and we would require the same,” she said.
And being allowed to leave her wares in the facility all week is a great advantage.
“If I had to set up every day I am here, I wouldn't do that,” Koltun said. “I wouldn't be here if I had to do that. It's a great place to start a business and to try it out.”
Julie Collie, a former vendor at Market Square, started selling fudge and candy on weekends before setting up a permanent shop in Hanmer Mall. She sold the shop when she decided to retire but was tending a vendor's booth one September weekend while he was ill.
“It's a great place for a business to start,” she said. “I certainly miss the atmosphere here and everyone helps one another out.”
She too sees an advantage to a longer season and during her year at Market Square, it was opened until mid-December.
“It's important to keep it downtown. It really is a marketplace and not so much a farmers' market. It's a big draw for the area,” Collie said.
Joanne Bedard, who is also retired, has been at Market Square for seven years selling purses, wallets, jewellery and other fashion accessories.
“I don't golf and I don't do crafts so I suppose you could say this is my hobby,” she said. “Having the weekends to sell and the rest of the week to organize works really well for me.”
Lots of traffic has helped her establish a clientele but she has no intention of expanding. Her current venue “is perfect.”
Ananda and Shyama Munasinghe became vendors at Market Square five years ago selling imported mats from Sri Lanka made from coco fibre and recycled rubber. During the week, the couple market their products to businesses and stores.
“It's an ideal place and a great place to start a business,” Ananda said. “My business is full time but being here allows me to get known.”
One of the advantages of Market Square, the couple said, is the ample parking and both hope a new location would offer the same spots.
CJ Pies 'n' More Bakery operates a storefront bakery in Warren five days a week and then sets up shop on the weekends at Market Square.
“It's great exposure for us,” said Gerry Pronk, who runs the business with his wife Colleen.
He says his generous practice of offering taste tests keeps customers coming back and makes new ones.
He also explains to all his customers how everything is made from scratch.
“Even our lunches we offer here are all local,” he said. “For our sandwiches we use our bread, we buy lettuce from a vendor on the deck and our meat comes from there,” he said pointing to a vendor who sells meat products.
The only downside, he said, is that he lost the recipe for a vacation.
“It's been awhile but we love doing what we do.”
