Council Defers Decision on Summer Market

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Monday, 14 April 2014 17:57
The idea for summer markets in downtown Vernon has been delayed to make sure merchants in the area support it. City council put-off giving support to using part of 30th Avenue from 3 to 8 pm on Fridays for the event, to give the Downtown Vernon Association time to survey its members. Lara Konkin, executive director with the DVA is disappointed in the delay, but will report back to council within two weeks. "We will go and get the written survey from the merchants on 30th Avenue which we have done, so it shouldn't be too difficult to compile that information for them." The plan is to start the market in a two block area around Nature's Fare in May, with events every Friday night until September. Konkin in confident most of the merchants will support the idea. "We have spoken to every business that we could on and off 30th Avenue, our board represents all those business, and I am convinced without a doubt that we have the support of those businesses," she told the media. Councillor Bob Spiers questions the plan to hold it on Friday nights. "Most of the people that I've talked to that actually go to some of these downtown markets as vendors say, 'If you want to have a market have it on Saturday.' It's better than a Friday night," says Spiers. Councillor Mary Jo O'Keefe didn't see the need for another survey, saying the plan has already gone through a long process by the DVA. "This will be a huge benefit," O'Keefe told council.