marketcityTO is driven by a vision of thriving gathering places in every neighbourhood where all people can shop, trade, connect and belong. Our grassroots network of public markets in Tkarón:to/Toronto is linked to local, regional, national and global movements that connect us with the international community.

Our work is based on the traditional territories of the Anishinabeg Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron-Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. As treaty people, we honour the Dish With One Spoon Wampum - an agreement to share and care for the land and resources peacefully. This reminds us that we only have one dish, one mother earth, and therefore we should take only what we need, leave something for others, and keep the dish clean.

Our relationships and collective responsibilities around food, culture, land, and community guide all that we do. Therefore, we must join others in denouncing the ongoing genocide by the State of Israel on the people of Palestine. As part of the Food Security Organizations Coalition, we call for an immediate ceasefire and a permanent end to the use of food and water as weapons of war in Gaza and beyond.

In Palestine, local food systems have collapsed and the deliberate destruction of farmland, seed banks, public markets and cultural infrastructure is causing the intentional starvation of thousands of people - as reported by iPES FOOD and the United Nations. This is not the only example of systems of domination and oppression currently affecting the global majority. We also see and grieve the effects of colonization, heteropatriarchy, and climate catastrophe unfolding in Sudan, Yemen, Congo and around the world.

Our commitment and belief is that all people should have equitable access to nutritious, culturally appropriate, locally produced food, and basic human rights. Public markets have always been, and will continue to be, important spaces that bring people together, celebrate diversity, and foster a spirit of mutual respect.

We are grateful for all markets, managers, vendors and community members who are able to use their voices and platforms to raise awareness and act on issues of injustice. marketcityTO will continue to support conversations that explore food sovereignty, climate action, justice and belonging. We encourage everyone to think globally and act locally.

marketcityTO Task Force Team