Cobourg Councillor Adam Bureau shared a message from the Cobourg Farmers' Market at Monday's council meeting in which they addressed some concerns that had arisen over their first two weekends of the 2021 season.
“We believe we are operating a successful and vibrant market, and we wanted to assure you we take these concerns seriously,” Bureau read from their message.
Accordingly, organizers have decided to postpone any scheduled live music until the provincial Stay-At-Home Order is lifted. This recognizes the prohibition on gatherings, as the performance of recent musical guests resulted in small groups gathering - “an error in judgment,” the letter acknowledged.
They also acknowledged the need to continue working on their measures to control and monitor vendors and patrons for maximum distancing and safety.
They are not acting, for now, on concerns expressed over the inclusion of non-food vendors. This is a small proportion of their vendors, the message said, and their participation has been approved by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit and the Town of Cobourg.
“It has become so apparent through our COVID-19 pandemic that we need to support our local businesses and that access to fresh local produce is more important than ever,” the message said.
Bureau applauded their willingness to evolve in response to concerns.
“Every week they analyze what they are doing, and want to improve and make sure everything is safe for the citizens that do come and shop there,” he said.