Photo Credit: GuelphTribune.ca

This summer, Guelph’s construction season extends beyond the roads as the downtown Farmers’ Market is set to undergo a transformation. From mid-June through the end of August, the market will move from its current location at 2 Gordon Street to the Exhibition Arena at 70 Division St. This will allow for extensive renovations to “provide an opportunity for the City to improve accessibility, the long-term maintenance and operation, and overall aesthetics” of the market’s home. These improvements are expected to include new paint, new accessible washrooms and layout improvements to remove mobility barriers, and much more.

The $500,000 renovation is expected to take 12 weeks, but the city has strived to minimize the impact on those who frequent the market. They’ve offered free parking in the Fountain Street lot during market hours and have set up a free shuttle service to and from Exhibition Arena from the market’s Gordon St. location. Notable too is the amount of free parking readily available on-site at the arena.

Sometimes it’s necessary to deal with service interruptions for the greater long-term outcome. We’ve seen it with the Hanlon Parkway, we’ve seen it with City Hall, and I’m sure we’ll see it again with the Farmers’ Market. More people living in Downtown Guelph could create a greater strain on the market’s infrastructure. Now is the time to be proactive and improve the market before it becomes a necessity. In spite of all the changes, it’s still shaping up to be another great summer to visit the Guelph Farmers’ Market.