The opening of a second Calgary Farmers’ Market on the western edge of the city (the other one is located along Blackfoot Trail and Heritage Drive SE), has some urbanists questioning why Calgary doesn’t have a year-round farmers’ market in its city centre.

New Calgary Farmers’ Market across from Canada Olympic Park in Greenwich a new community on the western edge of the city.

One of the most frequent arguments advocates for a City Centre farmers’ market make is that many cities in Canada and around the world have one - and they are popular gathering places.

Calgary’s urban market champions will be happy to know that included in the City’s ambitious, $200-+ million, Greater Downtown Plan (approved in April 2021) is a downtown public market initiative. The plan includes a $2.9-million budget request, (excluding land costs) to make this happen.

“The Downtown Public Market is intended to advance the goal of downtown vibrancy and reinforce downtown as a unique community to live and visit, while creating a sustainable, versatile and dynamic public space.” (Source: Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan, 2021)

Personally, I question the feasibility of a permanent farmers market in our city centre for several reasons.

Note: An edited version of this blog was published by CBC Calgary titled “The case against a farmers’ market in downtown Calgary.” this blog has more information on Calgary’s early 20th century farmers’ markets and the Eau Claire a failed late 20th century attempt at a downtown farmers’ market.

Calgary Public Market opened in downtown Calgary in 1912.

The Present: Calgary Has An Inner City Farmers’ Market

Many Calgarians seem to forget we already have an inner-city market - Crossroads Market, just four kilometres from the core. Unfortunately, it is in the middle of an industrial area with no connection to a residential community, sitting a bit off the beaten path at Blackfoot Trail and Ogden Road. However, it will have its own LRT station on the Green Line in the future which will make it much more accessible for everyone.

The Crossroads Market building, opened in 1938, (additional storey added in 1956), is located in Calgary’s historic Stockyards District, where the CP and CN rail lines intersect in southeast Calgary. The building was originally the Katchen Brothers abattoir (slaughterhouse) and later the Calgary Packers meat packing plant, has the character and patina one would expect of a real farmers’ market.

As for the distance from the core, Vancouver’s Granville Island Market at about 4 km, is about the same distance from its core, as Calgary’s Crossroads Market. (Note: While many Calgarians are jealous of Vancouver’s Granville market it should be noted the Federal government funded redevelopment of the old industrial site into a major tourist attraction with a diversity of different uses surrounded by residential development. All of Calgary’s farmers’ markets are private enterprises, with no government subsidizes).

Montreal’s two historic produce markets - Jean Talon, and Atwater - are even further from their city’s core. Toronto, Hamilton, London and Ottawa all have a downtown markets right in the core that have been operating continuously for over 100 years, creating a sustained farmers’ market culture.

The Past: Calgary’s Downtown Market History

Calgary’s Central Public Market, located on the northeastern corner of 4th Avenue and 3rd Street S.E. on the Bow River opened in 1912. The Beaux Arts Style building a half a block long with a three-storey tall central hall, had only a few stalls when it initially opened and soon was considered a white elephant. But in 1914, Annie Gale, Calgary’s first woman city councillor, wanting to ensure Calgary families had access to quality food at fair prices and with the support of the Women’s Consumers’ League got involved, and it became a busy place. But that didn’t last, and in the 1920s, the city leased what few stalls were still open to a private party to manage, since the City wanted out. The building, for the most part, burned down in 1954, but some of the structure was incorporated into the building that many Calgarians will know as Brookers BBQ Grill & Crab Shack that is now closed.

City Hall Farmers’ Market, 1939 Royal Visit (photo courtesy of Daniel Barron)

There was also a City Hall Farmer’s Market where Olympic Plaza is today, which billed itself as “the largest all-food market in western Canada.”

An indoor market, located in the "temporary" post office building which, in 1919, was sold to Theodore J. Klossoski who converted it into the City Hall Market.

It was a retail complex with over 40 stalls, including bakers, confectioners, fishmongers, meat merchants, and grocers. Many of the vendors were Jewish, including Norman Gould, whose meat market operated there for over three decades. It closed in 1953, as couldn’t compete with the new suburban grocery stores.

When it first opened Eau Claire Market had many of the vendors you would expect at a farmers’ market, but over time they all failed to find a loyal following as more suburban and community markets opened.

When Calgary’s Eau Claire Market opened in the summer of 1993, many thought it would be like Vancouver’s Granville Market (Granville was heavily subsidized for the first 10 years by the Federal Government).

However, it was private enterprise that flourished at first and then struggled to find a sustainable business model. It was more a festival market (mix of uses) than a farmers’ market, focusing on restaurants and entertainment with anchor tenants being a multi-screen cinema, Calgary’s first IMAX/Cineplex, Barley Mill, Joey Tomatoes and Hard Rock Cafe.

It also had a produce vendor, a butcher, fishmonger, a fresh bagel shop and even a flagship Benkris store with a cooking school. It was home to Sandpiper Books and even had artists’ studios. However, the vendors struggled to survive and after 10 years, many had left or didn’t renew their lease.

Eau Claire Market failed in part because the building was poorly designed – it was not connected to the Bow River pathway, lagoon, or Prince’s Island Park. And there weren’t the major residential developments as there are today, like the Princeton, La Caille and the massive 1000+ home Waterfront project on the old bus barns site. Paid parking was a big issue for many patrons, as parking is free at the suburban malls, markets, and restaurants. It also lacked a +15 connection which meant office workers were less likely to visit in winter months. While a mega makeover was proposed in 2013, which would have added new office, hotel, and residential towers, it is unlikely to happen given the glut of office space in the downtown today and two new hotels.

Note: A big thanks to Harry Sanders and Alan Zakrison for sharing their Calgary farmers’ market historical notes for this blog.

The Future: Barriers To A New Downtown Market

Downtown Calgary’s East Village has suburban scale Real Canadian Superstore as part of an entire block retail anchor. It is just one of many City Centre grocery stores.

The biggest barrier to a year-round downtown Farmers’ Market today is the plethora of existing grocery stores in and around Calgary’s City Centre. East Village has a mega new Real Canadian Superstore; the Beltline has a Safeway, Midtown Co-op, Urban Fare, Sunterra, and Community Natural Foods.

There are Safeways in Kensington and Mission; Bridgeland/Riverside has the Bridgeland Market and Inglewood Bite Grocer & Eatery.

In addition, major new residential developments in Downtown West (West Village Towers) and West Hillhurst (Frontier, i.e., old Legion site) have plans for an urban grocer as part of their projects. And don’t forget Chinatown with its several food merchants too.

Another barrier is the fact that, over the past 10 years there has been a proliferation of seasonal community farmers’ markets across Calgary – 28 in total - including Bridgeland Hillhurst/Sunnyside and Marda Loop (cSPACE). Many of the truly local producers are maxed out working these markets.

Another roadblock is the fact Calgary doesn’t have the diversity and quantity of small market garden farmers that southern Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia all have, and where most of Canada’s major downtown markets are located.

Link: CBC: Kingsland Farmers’ Market managers step aside amid financial woes.

I am not alone in my thinking, an Eau Claire resident recently emailed me his thoughts:
“Obviously there are more people in the neighbourhood now but I’m sceptical there’s a critical mass to allow a farmers’ market to succeed even now. ‘Cherry picking’ (pardon the pun) a few fruits and vegetables as occasional weekend entertainment is not the same as stocking up. I doubt it would be sustainable as too many of us are culturally unaccustomed and disinclined to carry very much, very far. We’re not attuned to being daily shoppers. So, we’re in the car anyway. I put on the backpack, and we do occasional ‘top up’ shopping at Safeway Kensington but the regular weekly shopping is also at Midtown Co-op.”

Let’s Experiment

Before the City of Calgary invests millions in renovating a building to create a permanent year-round farmers’ market in the greater downtown, let’s encourage downtown stakeholders to experiment with a seasonal market.

Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) could allow the use of a downtown parkade on the weekend, at a time when the parkades are under-utilized (they could even offer 2-hour free parking in the parkade). The shiny new Platform Parkade in East Village would be great place for such an experiment. Ideally, CPA, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, City of Calgary’s downtown revitalization team and Calgary Farmers’ Market would partner up - each contributing their unique expertise in public programming and operating a market.

Another option: Create a summer market in the old Greyhound Bus station, which the city already owns.

Last Word

Yes, Calgarians flock to the farmers’ market in the summer when local fresh fruit and vegetables are in season, but less so from November through May, which means the City’s existing year-round farmers’ markets struggle for half the year.

One of the fundamental lessons of city building is, “what works in one city, doesn’t always work in another city.”

While I would love to see a vibrant year-round farmers’ market in our city centre, I question both the need and the feasibility.

If you like this blog, you might like these links:

Calgary: Eau Claire is still a work in progress

City Centre urban renewal is often just urban cannibalism!

Alberta Road Trip: Millville & Black Diamond

Downtown Calgary Farmers’ Market: Present, Past, Future