Years of hard work are coming together for a local farmers' market.
Work has started on the pavilion at the site of the Mountjoy Farmers' Market on Riverside Drive.
“It’s just satisfaction that all this effort, all this work does actually come through and there’s going to be a building and it’s going to be so enjoyed by everybody,” said Rock Whissell, Porcupine District Agricultural Society president.
The structure will be used by the farmers market and Whissell also hopes it will become a meeting place for the community. The pavilion will have electricity, lighting and retractable shuttered walls to protect against weather.
Whissell and the society board have been working on the project for years.
The talks started in 2019 when the long-running farmers' market moved from the Mountjoy Arena to the Mountjoy Historical Park. Just as it was gaining momentum, COVID-19 put everything on hold.
Last year, land was donated across the road and the new permanent home of the weekly market was established at 537 Pavilion Dr., where GameOn Ball Hockey used to be.
SEE: Farmers market launching new season in new location
Whissell is hoping the first market will be held on June 17, two weeks ahead of when they usually launch around July 1.
“The building will be usable, maybe not 100 per cent finished but 90-95 per cent,” he said.
The pavilion is just the start of the changes Mayor Michelle Boileau foresees.
With a location in the middle of the city that's visible from the highway and is already being used, she said the city is thinking of how to further enhance the space.
“Now that the land’s been donated we can just dream big for the space. Putting the permanent structure up was the first step. This season we’re going to make a point to observe how the farmers’ market works, the flow of traffic as people are coming in, how they’re using this space and then from there really hoping to just plan for how we’re going to optimize the rest of the area,” she said.
Some of the ideas she tossed around are developing the waterfront, looking at the park and green space and putting in paths. The goal is to have a concept design at the end of winter 2024, with the hope of working on it next spring.
“Really I don’t want to get ahead of myself because we’re going to bring together a working and try to put a plan together,” she said.
It's been a community effort to erect the building.
Interfor was the first to step up back in 2019 to donate the wood needed and Newmont Porcupine has donated $25,000. FedNor is also providing $79,500.
The project still needs $50,000 to break even.
To make up the shortfall, people can buy a pillar, which will feature their name for 10 years.
The cost is $5,000 for one business on a pillar, or $2,500 to share a pillar.
For more details on that, visit the Timmins Fall Fair Facebook page.