The mid-Island's largest market in Cedar attracts thousands to the rural community every Sunday between Mother's Day and Halloween, leading the way locally for economic impact among area markets. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

massive money

‘A really strong buy local culture’ driving Nanaimo markets’ $19M economic contribution

Mar 14, 2024 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — Mid-Island farmer’s markets continue to punch well above their weight compared to similar events elsewhere in the province.

A new study by the B.C. Association of Farmers’ Markets and UNBC showed a province-wide economic impact of $233 million, including $155 million in direct sales.

Markets in Cedar, Nanaimo, Qualicum Beach and Gabriola Island contributed $19 million, or roughly 8.1 per cent of the total impact despite featuring under four per cent of the B.C. population.

“We have a really strong buy local culture across the entire Island,” Kate Poirier, executive director of the Cedar Farmers Market told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We grow all throughout the year and it’s part of our families, part of our school system to do that. People really rely on our farmer’s markets as part of their weekly shopping habits.”

The five markets, including the two run weekly on Gabriola Island, attracted over 344,000 people last year.

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Local shoppers also contributed heavily to the economic impact, with the average spend at markets in the region calculated to be $48.68, significant up from B.C’s average of $42.50.

However, Poirier said the numbers could be bigger.

The mid-week Island Roots Market at Beban Park is not in an ideal location, according to Porier, and many people don’t know it even exists.

“I don’t think their location within the property that they’re at is well known enough, not for the size of Nanaimo and for what it could be. Looking at the study, I saw other markets across B.C. that happen midweek on a Wednesday, and they had high attendance, but they were in very visible locations.”

Twice weekly markets on Gabriola Island are well attended, with dozens of local vendors. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

She also added the Cedar Farmers Market has been at capacity for years during their season from Mother’s Day to Halloween.

The field at the former Woodbank Elementary School in Cedar hosts over 100 vendors every Sunday during the spring, summer and early fall, plus a special Christmas market in November.

A year-round facility would see a massive boost for local businesses.

“There’s high dreams and just what we could use. Anywhere that we could operate year-round would offer such a significant impact. According to the data and comparing ourselves to other markets in B.C. that are the same size, we could be looking at $4-5 million more in economic activity just in our region.”

A key sticking point, however, is available space.

Poirier said options closer to central Nanaimo, such as the vacant former Sears building at Nanaimo North Town Centre, or the former Save on Foods at Terminal Park, were not ideal.

“People want to stay closer to the south end to reflect the connection to the Cedar/Yellowpoint rural area for one. But realizing we don’t have a lot of commercial or publicly owned space in Area A, so that’s a real tough equation to solve for us.”

The mid-Island region was also above the B.C. average for tourist visits, with 24 per cent of all visitors to markets locally living elsewhere, above the 17 per cent provincial average.

An estimated 84,000 tourists visited the five local markets in 2023.

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