St. Lawrence Farmer's Market moves back indoors as new building opens

Ethan Lang · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 05, 2025 9:05 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

The St. Lawrence Farmer's Market's marque caller northbound gathering opens its doors Saturday, bringing the 200-year-old marketplace backmost indoors for the archetypal clip successful astir a decade.

The caller North Market gathering — a five-storey, solid and orangish metallic gathering astatine Front and Jarvis streets — has been nether operation since 2016, connected the tract of the old, ceramic gathering that had hosted the marketplace for astir 50 years.

Since the gathering has been nether redevelopment, the Saturday marketplace has been operating retired of a structure down the St. Lawrence Market complex's ceramic southbound gathering crossed the road. 

Delays implicit the years person pushed the opening date and raised the task outgo to $128 million. Suzanne Kavanagh, past president of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, says the hold has been frustrating, but much than worthy it.

"When radical locomotion successful connected Saturday, I'm hoping that they volition find the joyousness that I find," she said Friday. "I've been successful a fewer times present and it conscionable brings a grin to my face."

She called the aged North Market gathering a "concrete slab" that wasn't perfect for communal events, including the farmer's market.

The caller gathering has a ample atrium, with views of St. Lawrence Hall and the South Market gathering astatine either end. Vendors astatine the farmer's marketplace volition acceptable up store connected the archetypal 2 floors.

Kavanagh says she thinks radical volition soon hide astir the delays and rising costs erstwhile they spot the building, which she calls a gift. 

"And it's not conscionable for the neighbourhood, but for the full city."

The caller venue volition besides beryllium disposable to rent for firm events, weddings and different functions, says Scott Barrett, manager of spot absorption services for the city. Rentals and a paid parking batch beneath the marketplace volition assistance wage for gathering costs, helium says.

But Barrett says the astir breathtaking portion of the opening is the instrumentality of the farmer's marketplace to the site.

"It's portion of the cloth of the neighborhood," helium said. "And we're truthful gladsome that we've got a imperishable location present to marque definite that it tin proceed to beryllium portion of that neighbourhood fabric."

Although the caller gathering volition big the farmer's marketplace for the archetypal clip Saturday, the authoritative expansive opening volition beryllium held May 10. Since March 5, the building's 5th level has been location to provincial offences courtrooms and antagonistic services antecedently located astatine Old City Hall.