Edmonton’s City Market has a history of life, colour and commerce

Kathryn Merrett tells the story in her book “A History of the Edmonton City Market 1900-2000.” Here is how she describes the allure and importance of markets in the opening chapter. 

“Produce markets bring the countryside—its people and products—into a city, giving urbanites direct and sensuous contact with the land around them. Markets are messy, colourful, noisy, sometimes smelly; they overload the senses. They materialize like magic early in the morning and evaporate into thin air by mid-afternoon only to be reconstituted at the next appointed time. They create addicts out of vendors and customers, attracting local characters whose personal histories combine to create a picture not just of an institution but of a place and its distinctive culture.”

The area around 102nd Avenue and 102nd Street truly is the very heart of Edmonton and from 1900 until 1965 there was a farmers’ market nearby. 

In December of 1900, the City Market opened on what is now the site of the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library. It became known as the Rice Street Market because its southern boundary, 101A Avenue, was called Rice Street. It was a big hit with vendors and customers. 

But remember what you just read about markets being messy, noisy and sometimes smelly? 

Merrett writes: “The market very quickly became more of a liability to the city in the city fathers’ view than it was an asset because they had a more lofty vision.”

The lofty vision outlined in a civic centre plan prepared by an American landscape architecture firm in 1912 was for a city hall, museums, a public library and establishments for music and drama—pretty much what is there now actually. But there was no mention of a market.

In an effort to ban the mess, in November of 1914 the City moved the market into a purpose-built building a few blocks north, at 107th Avenue and 101st Street. How did that go over? 

“It was a total fiasco,” writes Merrett. “Vendors went to it because they had to. But customers didn’t like the new site; they wanted the Rice Street Market back.” A scant two months later, the Rice Street site was back in business.

“Every time the City tried to move the market from the centre there was a citizen revolt,” says Merrett.

Things were looking up for the market in 1916 when the City built and opened a building on the Rice Street site with a farmers’ hall and six permanent mini-stores selling meat, fish and produce. 

As much as it was loved there, by the early 1960s the City was again pushing for the market to be moved from its prime location. And the catalyst for that finally happening was the decision to build a new library on Market Square as a centennial project.

The market was given a new home, a purpose-built building on the east side of 97th Street between 101A Avenue and 102nd Avenue. It opened in April 1965. 

Kathryn Merrett points to that as the beginning of the market’s decline, losing both the status of its previous location and the context that had shaped it. The decline was also aided by the loss of the old market building’s charm and functionality.

The downtown market closed at the end of December 2003 and opened in the spring of 2004 on 104th Street as a summer outdoor market. And there it found its footing again, drawing big crowds each Saturday. In the winter, it would move into City Hall. 

Merrett says it was good timing for the switch:

“We all wanted a year-round market, but we all agreed eventually that if we could make it work on 104th Street and if it really attracted people to the downtown, the market would start to seem more relevant to the city. And I think 104th Street did that.”

“There’s a lot more people living in the downtown,” Merret continues. “Downtown is becoming more pedestrian friendly. For sure, the market was a huge boon to businesses along 104th Street and to the downtown generally because it would be so busy there on Saturdays.”

So popular was it that the decision was made to move indoors again, this time to The Quarters, in the historic Great Western Garment Company Building on 97th Street across from the courthouse. Now Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market is open Saturdays and Sundays year round, setting up outside during the summer. 

It’s been quite a ride for the downtown market and Merrett brings it full circle: “Since December 1990, Edmonton’s downtown farmers’ market has brought life, colour and commerce to the downtown, most recently in the beautifully refurbished historic Great Western Garment building on 97th Street—a lovely venue for a venerable institution.”