By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: July 14, 2012
District has spent $5,000 to install a fence to beautify the pavilion park and to provide a much-needed windbreak for the Squamish Farmers’ Market.
The fence covers the width of the parking lot, is approximately 8’ high and is located on the south limit of the parking lot, said district communications manager Christie Smith.
The fence will create a buffer with the treed area adjacent to the fence, shielding the Farmers’ Market merchants from the Howe Sound winds.
“The fence will be of great benefit to the shoppers and vendors,” said Carolyn Morris, the organizer of the farmers’ market.
Morris said the district was generously paying for the fence and its installation, which will also help in the future landscaping potential of the market.
Morris had recently written to the district, asking for help to solve a problem to which the district had perhaps unwittingly contributed.
In the fall of 2011, Morris met with district planner Elaine Naisby to discuss the development of Pavilion Park.
As they shared ideas, Morris made it clear the market would appreciate the ‘beautification’ of the park, but in this change, there should be one constant.
The hedge separating the market from the park should remain as it served a crucial purpose.
It was a wind barrier.
The project got underway, but somewhere Morris’s suggestion was forgotten. The hedge was pruned heavily, making the farmer’s market lose its crucial windbreak.
The market was provided with 11 tarps, each 10’ x 12’ in sizes, which were used by the farmer’s market for two weeks, but soon began to rip.
“They easily slip out of place, as the ‘tree anchors’ are inconsistent,” Morris said.
“Tying these tarps to the varying trees is awkward and demanding. It takes two of our paid staff 45 minutes at the beginning and end to put up and take down this system,” she added.
Finally, the district seems to have heard her concerns.
“City hall has been extremely receptive in meeting the needs of the Squamish Farmers’ Market in regards to the windbreak,” she added.
Martin Thorne says
I must thank the DOS for the years of support for the Squamish Farmers Market, as one of the first vendors and board president we were happy in those days if we had 5 or 6 vendors, the DOS has been pro market from the start, the new fence is a classy and practical addition, well done to all involved,
Martin Thorne
MKC says
Thanks for supporting the market.