News   Mar 28, 2024
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St Lawrence Market

The closure of Market Street from Front to The Esplanade for June 1 to September 30 was approved at TEYCC. I wish the motion had asked Staff to report back after this period so it could be repeated in future years and/or completely closed without going through this annually but ...

Why should Market St. not closed after September? In Nov and Dec. this is the place for a Christmas market. Leading also up into Market Lane and around. This would activate the whole area. Québec City had three women doing this exactly with huge success!

C3D40564-0CF5-4165-BBFE-0A7D9463E719.jpeg
 
Why should Market St. not closed after September? In Nov and Dec. this is the place for a Christmas market. Leading also up into Market Lane and around. This would activate the whole area. Québec City had three women doing this exactly with huge success!

View attachment 394594
Of course it could be closed 365 days a year (and I think it should be) but there are some (ill-informed, in my opinion) folk who do not want it closed ever. The 4 month closure period in 2022 is a 'test' and once it is over I hope most of them will see that the world did not collapse and it 'worked'. For 2023 maybe it will be a 6 month closure or, ideally 12. The answer is for all of us to look at it in action, see how it could be improved or tweaked, suggest changes to make it better that could only be sensibly implemented if the closure was 'permanent' (fixed furniture/planters etc.)...... Today is certainly a major step forward and, sometimes 'incremental progress is the best way to achieve permanent change.
 
I don't often post BlogTo, but sometimes they just have to be mocked...


The main street in a Toronto neighbourhood that's almost always on the bucket list for visitors to the city may get completely shut down to car traffic this summer to make it more walkable and enjoyable for pedestrians and cyclists.
 
There has be no work happening on Wellington for well over a week and what there has been has really just taken the project back to its 2021 climax when they filled in all their excavations again. I looked at the contractor's website and see why nothing is going on. THEY think it's finished, on schedule!!

"Consisted of a cold milling/resurfacing, TTC Track Replacement, remove and replace sidewalk and curb in various locations, and water main replacement. This project was on Wellington Street West between Church Street to York Street. This project was in the very congested and busy financial district in the City of Toronto. This project was completed on time as the City requested multiple crews to accelerate the project completion."

See: https://sanscon.com/project/wellington/


Sigh :->
 
Apologies if this has been discussed already but I spoke to a merchant at St. Lawrence Market today who said that the new extended hours are starting on Sunday, July 31. The market will be open on Sundays and until 7 pm on weekdays. He described it as a one-year pilot but was convinced it'll be permanent. He was NOT happy about. He said he'll be forced to work 7 days a week. He also said there's no opt-out.

While I'm sympathetic, the current hours - no Sundays and closed at 5 pm on weekdays - aren't reasonable for working people. The new hours are more appropriate for a public amenity.
 
Apologies if this has been discussed already but I spoke to a merchant at St. Lawrence Market today who said that the new extended hours are starting on Sunday, July 31. The market will be open on Sundays and until 7 pm on weekdays. He described it as a one-year pilot but was convinced it'll be permanent. He was NOT happy about. He said he'll be forced to work 7 days a week. He also said there's no opt-out.

While I'm sympathetic, the current hours - no Sundays and closed at 5 pm on weekdays - aren't reasonable for working people. The new hours are more appropriate for a public amenity.

Good to hear.

Also, I've heard that from a few merchants before, and I'm really not sure why they can't hire an employee.

It seems many feel as though their sales won't grow w/the extended hours and they can't afford staff; not the assumption I would make. But we shall see, I suppose.
 
There has be no work happening on Wellington for well over a week and what there has been has really just taken the project back to its 2021 climax when they filled in all their excavations again. I looked at the contractor's website and see why nothing is going on. THEY think it's finished, on schedule!!

"Consisted of a cold milling/resurfacing, TTC Track Replacement, remove and replace sidewalk and curb in various locations, and water main replacement. This project was on Wellington Street West between Church Street to York Street. This project was in the very congested and busy financial district in the City of Toronto. This project was completed on time as the City requested multiple crews to accelerate the project completion."

See: https://sanscon.com/project/wellington/


Sigh :->

Laugh? Cry? How about just roll my eyes.......? Sigh.
 
Good to hear.

Also, I've heard that from a few merchants before, and I'm really not sure why they can't hire an employee.

It seems many feel as though their sales won't grow w/the extended hours and they can't afford staff; not the assumption I would make. But we shall see, I suppose.
That's exactly the assumption of the merchant I spoke to, that he'll be forced to stay open at times when he's certain he'll have no customers, at a cost of "a hundred bucks an hour." I just told him I hope things work out for the best.
 
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They ran with longer hours during the Pan Am Games, so they should have some frame of reference. Granted, it wasn’t well publicized at the time and often when I’d swing by after work most places would be packing up.
 
They ran with longer hours during the Pan Am Games, so they should have some frame of reference. Granted, it wasn’t well publicized at the time and often when I’d swing by after work most places would be packing up.
The hours at the moment are LESS than they were pre-covid and that is inexplicable. The extended hours that were announced after MUCH public consultation just before covid were never put into effect. The City are now doing a (rather amateurish) survey - presumably on the basis that if you ask a question often enough you will, eventually, get the answer you want!

One rather puzzling thing I noticed a while ago is that one of the Market merchants is advertising their stall for sale on realtor.ca:

$449,000

#B10 - 93 FRONT ST
Toronto, Ontario M5E1C3​

MLS® Number: C5518159

The Market stalls are owned by the City and leased to the merchants, how can one of them sell their stall? Surely if a lease ends or is transferred the City can select who gets it. Is there some sort of waiting list or ????
 
Hrm, B10 is Phil’s Place, the centre most vegetable shop on the lower level. Prime space for sure.
 

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