Timmins farmers market to reopen early this season under new roof

The Mountjoy Farmers Market will be ready to welcome vendors under its newly-constructed pavilion next weekend, two weeks earlier than usual.

It's been a long road to get to this point, but according to the president of the Porcupine District Agricultural Society, Rock Whissell, it's been worth the wait.

Work on the Mountjoy Farmers Market pavilion in Timmins will be done in time for a grand opening on Saturday, June 17 at 9 a.m. June 11/23 (Lydia Chubak/CTV Northerrn Ontario)

"There’s just the ceiling left to complete and next Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, we’re having the grand opening and we’ll be introducing this new building to our community," Whissell said.

The new structure is a community effort with funding from FedNor and wood materials from Interfor –formerly known as EACOM Timber -- and from Little John Enterprises.

 Whissell said an additional $75,000 will be donated on opening day.

The pavilion will provide shade and protection from rain while also giving sellers a place to plug in to preserve perishable foods.

"We’ve got 20 vendors that will be inside the building, so they have each pretty much a stall, so between every post ... so the people will be walking through the middle with vendors on either side with their vehicles parked next to them so they could have all their supplies and everything they need within their vehicle and be able to serve at the table within the building," said Whissell.

Two tents will accommodate an additional 20 booths at each end of the pavilion.

Whissell said a total of 40 vendors, including farmers and crafters, will be onsite for the first market and some will change over the summer depending on their availability.

And, he added, eventually the city will be able to reserve bookings for other groups who wish to use the area when it's not being occupied by the farmers market.