Last March, marketcityTO had the privilege of presenting to Community Development Work students from Centennial College, where we talked about Asset-Based Community Development and how it is reflected in marketcityTO's work. It was indeed an afternoon of fruitful exploration into the various public market assets that have enabled marketcityTO to move its work forward, as well as the great potential that public markets have as community economic development tools.  

On a cool February morning, we visited  The Stop Community Food Centre on Davenport to learn about their amazing Good Food Market!

In June 2023, Toronto hosted the 11th International Public Markets Conference, where the City of Toronto announced an official Public Markets Week. Hosted by Project for Public Spaces, in partnership with St. Lawrence Market, the City of Toronto Economic Development Food Cluster Division, and marketcityTO.

Public Markets Featured: 40

Local Partners engaged: 55

In partnership with Jennifer Forde, Red Onions Events, manager of Scarborough and Courtyard Farmers' Market Scarborough Neighbourhood Fresh Food Pilot is prototyping a new model is better suited to the urban context.

Markets involved: 5

BIPOC urban businesses involved: 19

Weather patterns are increasingly unpredictable, placing a responsibility on market managers to ensure the safety of both vendors and customers. Are you preapred?

From April to July 2024, marketcityTO conducted its 2024 Market Managers Survey, which aimed to understand Toronto’s public market ecosystem.

I’m excited to announce my first day at City Hall!

I have officially started a one-year contract with the City of Toronto under the Economic Development and Culture (EDC) division. My primary responsibility will be to develop the Public Markets Action Plan and work with the City division to present it to Council in 2025.

Have you ever seen a pawpaw at the market? It's not a papaya, but it is our largest native fruit and a special treat to find in the fall season here in Ontario!

Since 2015, we have been working to make Toronto public markets visible. From launching a Public Market Working Group in the Toronto Food Policy Council to hosting sessions with market managers or presenting to the City of Toronto Council, it has been a journey, a series of activities, research, projects, and events that help tell the story of why neighbourhood markets matter to the city, the entrepreneurs, and, more importantly, the residents.

We did it! On November 8th, the City Council approved the motion to develop the first Public Market Action Plan for the City of Toronto in 2024. This is the first for Toronto, Canada, and even North America.

Earth Month calls for a public Market Revolution! April, with Earth Day on the 22nd, highlights the urgency of climate action. Wildfires loom, threatening outdoor markets and the communities they sustain. Growers grapple with shifting conditions. How do we spark action? How do we rally support for grassroots initiatives battling climate change?