After 10 years, the North End Harvest Market is urgently looking for a new home.
The market, which provides free fresh produce for those in need as well as a sense of community, has been stationed in a portable at Waverly Drive Public School since it launched in 2014. But due to increased enrolment at the school, the Upper Grand District School Board needs the portable back, and the market has to leave.
“I was shocked. It’s just been two weeks' notice,” said Barb McPhee, a volunteer and one of the driving forces behind the market. “We’ll probably have a plan and things will work out, but right now, it’s just pretty sad.”
The market typically runs on Wednesday nights from 4:30 to 6 p.m., giving around $1,000 to $1,500 worth of food each week to the 250 people who rely on the service. There is also a free bread market on Sundays. The final market will be held this Wednesday.
McPhee said they don’t have any leads on a location right now, though she said it needs to be accessible and hopes it will be nearby so those in the neighbourhood don’t have to travel far.
This isn’t the end, though.
As the sudden change is coming at a time the community is seeing an increased need for assistance, McPhee said they are doing their best to ensure no disruptions to the service.
The plan, at least temporarily, is to pack bags at The SEED and drive them down to the school parking lot until a new location is secured.
She did note they recently switched to a choice-based system where community members can pick their own food, but for now it will be pre-determined and bagged for them. They won’t be accepting any new registrations either.
“It’s a lifeline for some people,” she said, not just for food, but as a place that fosters a sense of belonging, a bright spot in the community.
“People feel comfortable telling their stories and making connections with others,” she said. “If you’re a single person that maybe has some mobility issues, there’s other people here already, and they see them every week or every second week. They start to build (relationships). When people are already here, it makes it pretty simple.”
