Saskatoon Farmers' Market Cooperative votes in favour of moving

Members of the Saskatoon Farmers' Market (SFM) have voted in favour of moving to a new location.

On Saturday, members of the Saskatoon Farmers' Market Cooperative voted in favour of securing a lease for the property at 2612 Koyl Avenue.

"The SFM continues strong, morale amongst the vendors is high and the SFM is thriving like never before," executive director Erika Quiring said in a news release. 

"We have explored many options for alternate locations and feel that the Koyl Avenue facility will serve well towards the cooperative's goals."

The co-op's president and board chair Adithya Ramachandran called Saturday's vote "not overwhelmingly in favour, but not close," and said it now moves on to the board of directors to approve. 

The co-op will be moving next month out of its longtime 19th Street home at Saskatoon's River Landing site, owing to a protracted impasse with the city over further animating the space.

The co-op's last day at River Landing will be Dec. 22.

Moving to 2612 Koyl Avenue — located just two minutes by car from the Saskatoon airport — does not come without some differences for vendors.

At River Landing, the co-op leased the space from the city for a pittance — $10 a year — but also paid about $100,000 a year in property taxes, utilities and payments into a building maintenance reserve.  

At Koyl Avenue, the cost of utilities and taxes will be broadly similar, but vendors will also have to pay a more expensive base rent, Ramachandran said on Monday. 

The space measures about 13,000 square feet, slightly smaller than their previous space at River Landing, but the co-op would have autonomy over its new space, Ramachandran added. 

On Saturday after the vote, Ramachandran estimated it will take about three months for the cooperative to complete the move — assuming it's approved by the SFM board. 

"We do have a fair bit of work to do to the [new] building," Ramachandran said. "During that period we will be renting a gym in a civic centre somewhere for a temporary pop-up market on Saturdays."