'Hamilton Market goes locavore at expense of local immigrants'

Orillia, ON

I seldom read Macleans. It is simply too slick for me. The stories are too short, and not geared to me and my target market. Scuse the pun. They sent Joe a copy to encourage him to buy it. (Magazines are desperate for more subscriptions, in order to retain advertiser dollars. They are selling at incredible rates.)

The Hamilton (Ontario) Market (I've been in the 1980s!) used to have new immigrants with produce to present a world view. They closed the market for upgrade to meet code, and reopened without allowing the previous venders (who had Vietnamese, Sicilian, different cultural foods based on immigration)

Bala Market beekeeper

"The son of Sicilian immigrants, his family has had a stall at the market for almost 50 years." 


He wasn't allowed to reopen with the new locavore mindset and rules for vendors. This works in Yuppieville, perhaps, and works for one man...Darren Barefoot. But he's in Vancouver.

Then there is Vancouver!

But this is going too far for a place like Hamilton. And I don't think it should be where we are headed.

From Macleans:

The catch was the new Soviet-style application procedure that required vendors to “itemize each particular kind of produce/foodstuff sold, and to write a paragraph on how their business promoted the market and the city of Hamilton.” Priority was given to vendors whose goods are grown using “natural” or organic methods, and produced within a 100-mile radius of the market. That’s right: the Hamilton Farmer’s Market was rebranding, pitching itself at the yuppie constituency that has transformed the traditional farmers’ market into a place where highbrow vendors sell artisanal cheese, boutique lavender, hipster cupcakes, and organic bread.

Gravenhurst Market

I've visited the Perth, Gravenhurst, Bala, Huntsville, Rosseau  Markets, etc. They are adamant, since they take place in the summer, that products sold are ONLY local goods. THis makes sense for a summer market and produce, but sends me ballistic for other reasons. 

Market Produce

For example, Muskoka Hospice was selling some products as a fundraiser. Locally made bird houses. I offered them free copies of my book for a tax receipt for me, and profit for them. No go, since the Muskoka market rules only permit individuals to sell their individual products. Hospice had a co-op student working the booth for them. Since she hadn't written the book she couldn't sell it. That said, there were many authors forced to sell their one book, while paying full price for a booth. I couldn't afford that.




I wonder how far this locavore movement will take us? I believe we should be incorporating this into our practices, but with a day like today (-25 C. at dawn) it is impossible to sell local fruits and veggies except seasonally. I think we are doing ourselves more harm by limiting such vendors. We need to take a more Global view. This is a different story than Cheap-Mart, and their practices of undermining local businesses.

Perth Market bread

I avoid Cheap-mart like the plague. There may be those who want to buy inferior products, with manufacturers forced by this big box store to produce cheaply made goods, to make poorly made products. You must read The Wal-Mart Effect: 

How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and How It's Transforming the American Economy, for the back story. 

Outsourcing is a seriously wicked result of their business practices. It's the reason for the type of backlash in many states, whereby American citizens resent migrant workers, for example, for being eligible for healthcare. It is the reason why product recall after product recall from China continues to illustrate the serious moral and health issues that result from outsourcing. 


I suggest we buy locally, if possible, but we must honour those who have immigrated and introduced Canadians to Mexican, Italian, Vietnames foods. It is the reason why we enjoy a variety of people and their cultures, but sourced by those who contribute to our economy. An indoor market, like the Hamilton Market, has such a wonderful history.

Gravenhurst Market