With the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park leaving the Ottawa Farmer's Market temporarily homeless, it may take up residence in Old Ottawa South for the duration.
At its November 15 meeting the Board received a presentation from City staff on a possible relocation of the Ottawa Farmer’s Market to Old Ottawa South next year. The move, which would be temporary for a two or three year period, comes as a result of the proposed construction of new facilities and commercial space at Lansdowne Park which will mean no space for the market on the site. The market would relocate back to Lansdowne once the construction is completed and it would operate, it is hoped, a much expanded facility that would be open most days throughout the year.
It is proposed to temporarily relocate the market at Brewer Park, Sundays only, along Sloan Avenue between the intersection with Hopewell Avenue and Westboro Academy. Sloan Avenue is the street that runs north to south at the extreme western edge of Brewer Park next to Bronson Avenue. The farmer’s stalls would be lined up either side of Sloan Avenue and in order to ensure safe pedestrian access the street would be closed from Hopewell Avenue south to the parking lot next to Westboro Academy. This would be a temporary closure on Sundays only from very early in the morning to mid-afternoon. In order to assist with access to the Brewer Park area, it is possible that Brewer Way, the street the runs parallel to Sloan and has the pool and arena on either side, may be opened at Hopewell during the Sunday closure of Sloan Avenue. In addition, it is proposed that overflow parking will be made available at the parking lot closest to Brewer Park on the Carleton University campus.
While the Board thought that having the Farmer`s market at Brewer Park would be a bonus for the neighbourhood, it was suggested that after the first season an assessment be done to determine whether the site can effectively absorb the traffic that would be generated and that access to Brewer Park and the pool and arena are working acceptably. Parking may so be an issue, particularly if people are reluctant to use the Carleton lots, given their distance from the site and the need to cross Bronson Avenue on foot at the signaled intersection at the Park entrance.
Those who need more information on the potential move of the Farmer`s Market to Brewer Park should contact Mr. Philip Powell, Manager of Licensing, Permits and Markets at the City (613-580-2424, ext. 25385; or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
Excerpt from December 2011 President's Report