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Country Market welcomes back shoppers

Market reopens for first time in nearly two months, with changes to help ensure physical distancing
Country Market Northern Unique
Annette McDonald of Northern Unique bakery was one vendor welcoming back customers Saturday. (Ian Kaufman, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – It’s not quite the bustling atmosphere market-goers are accustomed to, but Thunder Bay’s Country Market opened its doors to the public Saturday for the first time in nearly two months.

Nearly 300 people had been through the doors by 11 a.m., three hours after the market opened at its Dove Building location. That’s a drop from normal levels, said Kelly Fettes, chair of the Country Market board of directors – but for now, the focus is on safety, not sales.

“Our vendors are just happy to be back and see their returning clientele,” she said. “It may be a slow start, but I think everybody’s doing a great job.”

The market had previously reopened in late March, but closed down again in early April over safety concerns and moved sales online. The reopening this time includes larger changes to the market's physical layout to promote physical distancing.

Those include limits to the number of people allowed inside at one time, more spacing between booths, plexiglass dividers, and a new configuration that sees shoppers winding their way through the market along a one-way aisle. More vendors now use tap payment with debit or credit, though some are still accepting cash.

Following provincial regulations, the market is allowed to offer only food products, including take-out from the Market Kitchen.

Annette McDonald, a long-time presence at the Northern Unique booth, said the reopening of the market was a bright spot after a difficult few months for the bakery, which also operates a permanent location on Frederica Street.

“We’ve been here for 14 years, and it’s wonderful coming back to the market,” she said. “The setup has been interesting, it’s a change – but what isn’t changing in life? We need to continue modifying, reinventing the wheel, so to speak.”

The reopening brought the return of many regulars, and even some first-time customers, McDonald said, though some remain hesitant.

Fettes said she understands that not everyone is ready to come back, though she’s confident in the safety measures the market has taken.

“Everybody needs to feel safe,” she said. “If you’d like to come to the market, we welcome you; If you feel it’s not the right place for you just yet, we understand that as well.”

About 20 vendors were present for re-opening Saturday. Fettes expects that number to grow as the summer progresses, with many expected to open at outdoor booths.



Ian Kaufman

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