Carleton will not be hosting the annual winter Ottawa Farmer’s Market due to an additional cleaning cost being added to the rental fee, according to farmer’s market board.
The market, which was supposed to be held in the Fieldhouse on campus, is one of the biggest of its kind in Canada, according to Robin Turner, the president of the farmers’ market board of directors.
The space is rented at a cost of around $2,000 per day, with the total price negotiated up front with Carleton. The university, however, added an additional $3,000 cleaning fee which forced the farmers to find another venue.
Turner said the farmer’s market is a unique part of the Carleton community as well as the greater Ottawa community.
“Our market is producer only, there’s no reselling of produce from say, California,” he said “Most of the [farmer’s] markets in Ottawa have a combination of re-sellers and producers.”
“The person behind the booth is engaged in what they’re selling.”
Turner, who has been president of the board for two years, said this would have been the first year the winter farmer’s market was held indoors.
“We realize that Carleton’s first mandate is to the education of its students,” Turner said. “We’re building a community and contributing to the community around Carleton University.”
Carleton media relations co-ordinator Chris Cline said the university has “a solid track history of collaboration.”
“Carleton greatly values the strong connections it has with the community and community groups,” Cline said via email.
Turner said that although the farmers’ need to search for a new venue, the university has been cooperative and this cleaning fee is not their fault.
“We’re happy with the relationship [with Carleton] and we want to maintain a good relationship,” Turner said.
George Wright, one of the farmers on the board of directors for the market said that although he can absorb the cost of lost sales from the possible cancellation of the farmers’ market, other farmers might not be able to.
“Our sales increase as it gets colder, so to not have a Christmas or winter sale hurts the farmers,” he said.
Wright also said he doesn’t fully blame Carleton for the additional cleaning fee and understands that the university has to cover costs for the market.
Cline said that Carleton cannot be expected to cover any cost related with the renting of its facilities.
“While the university receives valuable operating funds from the government for which it is grateful, the athletics centre is an ancillary operation: this means the centre receives no government support and that it recovers its operating costs through revenues,” Cline said.
“Cost recovery is a requirement—not an option.”
After the story of the cancellation was published in the Ottawa Citizen, Turner said that he had several venues contact him offering him space.
With these offers, Turner said it looks like the farmer’s market will go on as planned as soon as the venue is finalized.
While the farmers are not blaming Carleton, the university did issue an apology at the end of the statement.
“We are very sorry indeed that we cannot cover the costs of the market and that the University has been depicted in a negative light.”
