Vendors from the Vernon Farmer's Market (VFM) have heightened their concerns, amid the U.S.-Canada tariff war, that vendors are being unfairly punished by the City of Vernon.
According to Robyn Danielsson, Vernon city council should be "embarrassed" about the increased fees slapped on business owners of the market.
"The headlines coming out of the U.S.A. and our (Canadian) government are driving fear across households in our community," said Danielsson. "Families fret about how they will put healthy food on their tables and how they will balance 'buy Canadian' to support their values at the grocery store."
According to information from one vendor, rates more than tripled at the Farmer's Market from 2022 to 2023.
In one example, parking lot rental rates in 2022 for a VFM lease was $3,828.97. In 2023, that number was $11,166.16. It increased more than $1,000 in 2024, to $12,262.82.
Costs are expected to increase again in 2025.
Currently, the VFM runs twice a week starting in April, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from the Kal Tire Place parking lot on public property owned by the city. Vendors rent out space on a yearly or multi-year basis, for the right to set up a stand at the market.
The city asked the market to commit to a 10-year lease, which started in 2024. Costs have climbed year-over-year and will reach $33,000 by 2033.
"In my humble opinion, the City of Vernon slapped these unrealistic price increases on these vendors as part of their own way to tariff a group of entrepreneurs that are doing their best to support a larger economy in our backyard," said Danielsson. "Shame on the city council for doing this at the expense of the people and the expense of these businesses."
According to Rachelle Zelaney, owner of Zelaney Farms and VFM鈥檚 president in 2023, the market is non-profit and "I don鈥檛 think that we are being treated in a way that says the city values our place in the community.鈥�
Danielsson also explained that last July, the average household may not have viewed the VFM rate increase as a "big deal" because there was always an option to buy U.S.A.-made produce.
"However, fast forward to today and as we look into the near future, the story unfolding is a daunting one to say the least."
