11th International Public Markets Conference
Toronto Public Market Week Declaration!

Drum roll, Toronto now has a Public Market Week!

On June 8th, Councillor Shelley Carol announced at the 11th International Public Market Conference that our city had declared the second week in June Toronto's Public Market Week.

From Farmers' Markets to Bazaars, Good Food Markets to Neighbourhood Markets, Antique and Vintage Markets, and also Wholesale Markets like our unique Ontario Food Terminal, every year, this week-long celebration provides a platform for showcasing the unique products, cultures, and experiences that Toronto's markets offer. It's also an opportunity for residents and tourists to explore and learn about the city's different markets, and support local businesses and entrepreneurs.

More importantly, this annual event is an opportunity to celebrate and increase awareness about the importance of public markets in advancing inclusive economies, increasing access to locally and culturally diverse food, fostering relationships between neighbours, and advancing climate action. 

St. Lawrence Market, FoodShare Toronto and marketcity TO championed the process and advocacy efforts, and we are so happy that the Mayor and city staff supported this declaration to move forward. 

Soon will start planning for next year. In the meantime, check your neighbourhood this week, as the outdoor harvest season is here!

 

We work with Toronto’s intrepid market managers, vendors, city staff and policy-makers to activate the power of markets.

Get in touch ->

Marina Queirolo
Public markets & food systems specialist
mqueirolo@marketcityto.org

Project For Public Spaces' Market Cities Network is a global forum for markets of all kinds and the people committed to their success. We’re honored to join as a Founding Member, a role where we can connect and advance leaders in the public markets field.

Supporting partnership from the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance and Hypenotic.

International partners with Project For Public Spaces.

Project partners with City of Toronto, St. Lawrence Market, Greenbelt Markets, Scarborough Farmers Market, and Canadian Farmers Market.

We respectfully acknowledge that the work stewarded by Market City TO takes place on many Indigenous nations' traditional territories.

Tkarón:to has been cared for by the Anishinabeg Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron-Wendat, and its current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Now home to many First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities, this territory is subject to the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to share and care for the land and resources in the Great Lakes region peacefully. The dish with one spoon reminds people we only have one dish, one mother earth we can take from. Therefore, we should take only what we need, leave something for others, and keep the dish clean. It also demonstrates our collective responsibility to share equally. This area had been a gathering place for Indigenous peoples for centuries before colonization; they hosted the original markets.

The relationship between food, culture, land, and communities informs our work on Toronto public markets. As we work towards collectively reimagining Toronto as a market city and mobilize the partnerships to make it happen, we prioritize finding ways to support Indigenous food sovereignty in their territory. We respectfully acknowledge that the work steward by Market City TO is on traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations.