Vernon Farmers Market (File photo/submitted/VFM)

By Pete McIntyre

April 15 in Vernon

Non-food vendors allowed back at farmers markets

Mar 22, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Farmers markets in Vernon, and around B.C., now have provincial approval to allow non-food vendors to be a part of their events again.

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the decision late on Friday (Mar. 19), after receiving “a lot of public feedback” on the issue.

Farmers markets are considered an essential service and have been allowed to keep operating during the pandemic, but non-food vendors, like crafters and artisans, were excluded from the events for reasons that were never clearly explained.

The restriction was lifted last summer before being reinstated in December.

Vernon city council called for B.C.’s Health Ministry to reconsider the ban in late February.

BCHL playoffs

Vipers fall to Vees in OT series opener

25m ago

Update

'We are scared': family of homicide victim leaves home

16h ago

Infrastructure Upgrades

New Vernon roundabout put off until 2025, funding could go to another project

17h ago

“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,” Vernon Coun. Scott Anderson said.

Anderson argued the ban didn’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 Farmers 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 disallows non-food items at events.”

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce wrote to Dr. Henry, Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu in early February, saying without the non-food sellers being permitted, the markets were at risk of shutting down.

“Our chamber was proud to partner with the Vernon Farmers Market on advocating for change and the positive outcome clearly demonstrates the strong voice the chamber creates for its members and the business community,” president Krystin Kempton said. “We are confident that market organizers and individual vendors will do everything possible to ensure the safety of consumers.”

The Vernon Farmers Market ended its indoor season on Friday, Mar. 19, and will be able to add the non-food vendors when its outdoor season begins April 15 at the Kal Tire Place parking lot.