COVID-19: Finnegan’s Market in Hudson, Que., still hoping to open this season

The last year-and-a-half has been very difficult for millions of Quebecers, especially those in the retail, restaurant or hospitality business.

Many non-essential businesses remain closed, including Finnegan’s Market, the iconic seasonal flea market and antique shop on Main Street in Hudson.

The family-run business never opened last year and so far this season, it remains shuttered.

“Sad. Just really, really sad. We’re not the only ones that suffer because we can’t be open,” Barbara Aird, the co-founder of the market, told Global News.

Finnegan’s first opened in 1972 and the seasonal business (May to October) never closed prior to the pandemic.

The family-run operation has the legal right to reopen now but the logistics of doing so while following all the public health guidelines makes it unrealistic.

“Just because the majority of the market is outside doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. There are a lot of things that need to be implemented and we’re not going to do it if we can’t do it properly and safely for everybody,” Mary Aird, the manager of Finnegan’s, told Global News.

For instance, if the business opened in a limited capacity, it would have to hire additional staff to tell clients when it reached maximum capacity and refuse vehicles inside the lot. There is no street parking and the result could create traffic issues in the residential neighbourhood.

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Still, as more people become vaccinated and more COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Mary Aird is keeping a positive attitude that the season is not lost.

“I’m optimistic. I mean, I think you have to be at some point,” she said.

Her mother, who still refurbishes and sells antiques from inside the family’s 200-year-old barn, reiterates that optimism.

“It’s only the beginning of May and we go until the end of October so that gives us some time,” Barbara Aird said.

The business is normally open only on Saturdays and can accommodate more than 2,000 visitors. Finnegan’s is a staple in the community and attracts clients from as far as Vermont, New Hampshire and Ontario.

One of the long-standing clients, Susie Wild, misses the jovial ambiance that Finnegan’s brings to the community.

“A lot of hubbub, noise, people, laughing, talking. Just a general good feeling,” Wild told Global News.