(Indoor Farmers Market at Kal Tire Place (Submitted photo)

By Kevin Rothwell

Province encouraged to review crafter ba

Farmers markets get Vernon council backing

Feb 22, 2021 | 6:11 PM

Vernon city council is calling for B.C.’s Health Ministry to reconsider its ban on non-food vendors at farmers markets.

“This is another example of the discriminatory policies that are killing small businesses, promoting large businesses, and generally distorting the economy in favour of the large chains, while achieving very little to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Coun. Scott Anderson said.

The councillor stated the ban doesn’t make sense considering non-food items are sold in big box stores and indoor malls across the province, where there are often few processes to ensure compliance with the provincial health orders.

“The B.C. Association of Farmer’s Markets has been given no formal reason for the ban,” said Anderson, “other than that farmers markets are arbitrarily classified as events instead of markets, and the Public Health Order (PHO) disallows non-food items at events.”

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said farmers markets are considered an essential service under the B.C. state of emergency and are expected to comply with hygienic practices and physical distancing to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

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“Markets are allowed to sell food items for human consumption. Food items include fresh, frozen and prepared foods, take-away from food carts and food trucks, and pre-packaged liquor. This includes lower risk foods prepared at home and higher risk foods,” the agency explained.

Vendors can sell food or non-food items online for pick-up or delivery to customers, but Joanne Horvath, an organizer with Creative Chaos, said that doesn’t help the crafters much.

“Some are doing stuff online, or through buy and sell, but that’s just peanuts,” Horvath told Vernon Matters.

Horvath feels the crafters are getting “black-balled” because they’re not considered essential.

“A lot of the crafters are a little miffed. They are allowing people to go shopping in department stores, so what’s the difference? We’re not doing anything were not supposed to, but we’re not essential,” Horvath remarked.

The Vernon Farmers Market holds events on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays inside Kal Tire Place.