Manitoba Liberals propose $20M year-round downtown farmers’ market if elected

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba Liberals are promising a full-time, year-round indoor farmers’ market in the downtown core if the party is elected this April.

Liberal LLeader Rana Bokhari made the announcement Friday morning.

The market would include locally grown produce, meat and other groceries but would not include packaged or canned goods.

Bokhari said this would help to address a shortage of grocery stores in the core of the city.

“What the core has been asking for, for a really long time is fresh food,” said the Liberal leader.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What the core has been asking for, for a really long time is fresh food," said the Liberal leader.

The total investment to purchase property and create the location is estimated at $20 million.

“This is a one time cost,” said Bokhari.

The project could be run with the private sector, but would be a Crown corporation if a partner can not be found. It would be run as a not-for-profit agency.

“It we can’t make it work in any other way then we will have to do that,” she said. “We have to do it now. We can’t keep talking about it.”

The pledge also includes having a provincial government food inspector on site at all times to ensure products can be delivered fresh and hit the floor almost immediately.