The Prince George Farmers' Market may have to look for a new place to call home during the winter months.
According to present and former members of the board of directors for the Prince George Farmers' Market Association, the market's indoor component will likely be shuttered by the time the outdoor market season begins in May.
For the past two years, the market has offered an indoor venue at the corner of Third Avenue and George Street to complement the vendors who set up outside the Prince George Courthouse.
But financial strain due to increased rent costs has caused the association to begin looking elsewhere for space.
The group has been paying $2,100 per month in rent since last spring, when it was increased from $1,200. They were also on the hook for a variety of renovations to the space. Last year, the market unsuccessfully applied for $20,000 in funding from the city and regional district for a facade upgrade.
"For the first year, we decided to go with it," said director Brenda Langlois. However, a lack of funds and disagreements with the landlord about insurance responsibilities mean they can't continue as they are, Langlois said.
The building is owned by Commonwealth Realty Corporation. President Dan McLaren said he did not want to comment, citing client confidentiality.
In a February 2011 letter to council, McLaren supported the market's funding application request, stating that he was providing a lease "below operating cost."
"While Commonwealth has been happy to subsidize the operating expenses - by mutual agreement - the market is responsible for their own interior and exterior improvements," he wrote.
"We decided at the last board meeting that, starting May 1, everybody's going to be outside, because we can't afford $2,100 rent a month," Langlois said.
"Everybody will be outside and we hope we will find another building somewhere to put the inside market. If not, well it's going to be - simply - dead."
Vendor and former director Stan Prangnell said if a move takes place, the goal is to have all vendors join the outside market just like it was before the indoor market opened until the end of the outdoor season in October.
"By then we would have a new indoor facility designed and put together so we could move right in there at the middle of October," said Prangnell.
The group is considering a couple of different properties ideas that the city has come forth with, but wouldn't disclose where they were.
"We're considering [one of them]," Langlois said. "It's much smaller. The market will have to downsize, lots."
But relocating the indoor market means the outdoor market will also have a new address, which doesn't sit well with vendor Junior Reich.
"I like the courthouse, because it's right downtown," said Reich, who recently stepped down as the board's secretary. "The people come to shop in that area downtown and it's so handy, the
parking's reasonable there, it's good. If we move to the other spots, it's going to be a real problem."
Reich said more information about what the market is planning to do should be available following a general meeting on March 31. Market president Nancie Krushelnicki was not available for
comment.
