HALIFAX – Plans to reorganize the Seaport Farmers’ Market is garnering criticism amid allegations ethnic food vendors are being unfairly treated.
Six weekend-only prepared food vendors are being asked to move from the busy lower level up to the mezzanine, which typically doesn’t experience as much foot traffic.
Administration from the market said this will create a dedicated food area and encourage visitors to sit down and eat.
The six affected vendors — Viji’s Veggies, Mary’s African Cuisine, Pierogies 4 U, Stella’s, Unique Asian and Turkish Cuisine — all operate on the weekend only.
Mary Nkrumah, the chef at Mary’s African Cuisine, stressed she isn’t accusing anyone of being racist but calls the decision “unfair” considering all the vendors affected sell ethnic food.
“You will come to a farmers’ market and you go upstairs and there’s only going to be ethnic food vendors on one spot of the corner,” she said. “It doesn’t sound good to anybody.”
Nkrumah has been selling food at the market for five years and has since started a catering business and opened a café. She said she values her experience at the market and wants to stay but is worried moving upstairs will hurt her business.
She brought her concerns to the Ghanian Association of Nova Scotia, which drafted a letter to the market asking them to reconsider their decision three weeks ago.
Association president George Katsriku doubts the market’s decision is based on racism, but he understands why it could be viewed that way.
“It just so happens that all the vendors that are moving upstairs are of ethnic origin. It’s hard not to see it that way,” he said.
Reaction has been swift on social media. An opinion piece on the issue in The Coast newspaper on Tuesday prompted many people to speak out, including some who suggested a boycott of the market.
In response, the Seaport Farmers’ Market administration said the layout change was not an attempt to move ethnic vendors. Executive Director Julie Chaisson said the changes are part of public consultations that took place in 2013, which looked at ways to improve flow at the market and bring in more business.
“We’re a farmers’ market and we have all different cultures here,” she said. “This is about creating an environment for people to sell and for customers to find products easily and to provide a stable place for people to sell.”
Chaisson said part of that plan included moving artisans upstairs recently as well.
The goal is to have the weekend food vendors in place in the mezzanine by September.
Administration and the affected vendors plan to meet later this week to discuss the issue.
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