Sudbury farmers' market may face delays

With spring approaching, there are questions about what kind of farmer's market Sudbury will have. The plan to move the market to the old downtown train station is facing delays, which could stretch on for months.

Market vendors keep calling Christine Koltun to find out what's happening.

But the ceramic maker and vendor association president doesn't know much.

She said she knows the sale of the train station from CP to the city is waiting on an environmental assessment, but Koltun doesn't know what the market will look like — or what she can do about it.

"I'm very skeptic[al] about it," she said.

"But these things take time. You can't push. How can you push? It's impossible."

Farmers like Dan Mainville are expecting a market that's just tents and tables — the way it was years ago on Shaughnessy Street.

"I really miss the Shaughnessy Market. It just seemed a much happier place to go," he said.

'We'll get there'

Sudbury city councillor Frances Caldarelli says no decisions have been made, but is confident there will be a market and it will be at the train station.

But the rest of the plan is up in the air.

"It may not all happen as fast as we want, but we'll get there," Caldarelli said. "I'm sure we will."

"I think I can say fairly definitely, that yes, there will be a farmer's market. I'm not sure I can say there'll be a farmer's market in its final configuration for this June."

The market will likely be set-up outside in the train station parking lot when the season opens.

Caldarelli and the rest of council will get an update from staff on the farmer's market plans at their meeting next week.

The other potential delay is that the train station is protected by federal heritage laws. Moving through that process could take months and further delay any renovations to the century-old building.