Cheap food and education bring a community together
Normally covered in litter and frequented by the homeless, Cabot Square—just steps away from Atwater Metro—was transformed into a lively and colourful centre of activity for a farmer’s market and festival on Sept. 12.
Hosted by the Eco-quartier Peter-McGill, responsible for the west side of the Ville-Marie borough, the Public Market Harvest Festival offered patrons the chance to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at bargain prices while learning about proper nutrition and sustainability.
“We wanted to attack the issue of food access,” said organizer Marco Carpinteyro, who is also a coordinator on the Peter-McGill community council.
“It’s such a diverse district,” he continued. “There are many new immigrants who settle here and many, many students.” The district includes Dawson College, Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus, McGill University and LaSalle College.
Giving residents easy and affordable access to fresh and nutritious food was an important goal of the market; baskets of carrots, beets and green peppers were on sale for as little as one dollar.
Jean-Yves Bourdages, a member of the Shaughnessey Village Association—responsible for the area between Guy Street and Atwater Avenue—also thinks that a farmer’s market can be beneficial to the homeless population that lives in the square.
“This allows patrons to see the homeless, to interact with them, and realize that they’re not dangerous,” Bourdages said, pointing out that a large number of the homeless people in Cabot Square are Native women with few resources in Montreal.
“There is a women’s centre in the area, but it’s only a day centre. In the evening, they have nowhere to go,” Bourdages explained. “A farmer’s market may allow them to participate more in the life of the city.”
“People are interested in lowering the prices of their grocery bills,” said Jenna Smith, who ran a booth at the market for Innovation Youth, an after-school centre for kids 12 years of age and older. “The prices are fantastic, particularly if you’re living on a student budget.”
One of the initiatives Smith was promoting was the Good Food Box, a program that provides boxes of fresh vegetables and fruit twice a month for a ballpark price of $7.
Food education was also a goal of the market. “There are so many young people and young families in this area,” said Carpinteyro. “Children and young adults need to be offered good food options. We want them to be aware that it’s much better to eat a fresh fruit than a chocolate bar.”
Organizers are hoping the market will become a staple of the neighbourhood for weekenders. “There’s been a lot of positive response,” said Carpinteyro. “It’s bringing so much animation to the square.”
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