Despite being hit hard by the pandemic, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market is maintaining a steady presence downtown

On a typical day, the Hamilton Farmers’ Market would be busy, full of people either drifting from stall to stall or marching down the aisles with purpose. The air would be filled with the sounds of cheerful chatter as regulars caught up with their favourite vendors or friends they ran into by chance. Established in 1837, the market is an important place of community for Hamilton and a steady constant throughout the city’s history.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

“I think it's one of the best things that Hamilton has to offer, right up there with waterfront escarpment, arts and culture and the music scene and all that . . . I would say that Hamilton Farmers’ Market [is one of] of the great assets of the city,” said Eric Miller, chair of the market’s board of directors.

However, the market has experienced some dramatic changes due to the pandemic. In March, they implemented the necessary public health measures, including wearing masks, social distancing protocols and hiring security to help control the flow of people. While these changes were necessary, it meant that all fronts of the market have been sharply impacted by the pandemic.

All vendors at the market were affected, though some more so than others. In terms of their operations specifically at the market, many were limited in what they could sell, especially during the early stages of the pandemic. Miller noted that in some cases these limitations were because of disruptions to the supply chain. Many farmers were unable to hire help to pick their harvests and florists in the region experienced interruptions to the system by which they exchange flowers. Vendors offering cheese and meats also faced supply challenges during the pandemic.

For other vendors, particularly those selling non-food items, they found there was little to no demand for their products. One such vendor is Saji Kollanthara’s Folk Art Prints, who sells hand-printed artisan items imported from India. 

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“Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it. Nobody [was] even looking at my place because they were invested only in food items and nothing of anything else, so I stopped going there after one week,” said Kollanthara, who closed his stall for three months during the pandemic.

“Since the COVID [pandemic] started . . . people have no interest in buying anything other than food . . . So I waited for one week then I noticed that there is no point [in] opening the shop, because nobody's buying it."

While Kollanthara’s stall was only closed on a temporary basis, four other businesses, including Cake and Loaf and Jamaican Patty Shack, were forced to terminate their contract with the market during the pandemic. 

Additionally, immediately following the pandemic announcement, the market also saw a dramatic decrease in customers, by almost 75 per cent during stage one according to Miller. This is likely because customers were being encouraged to limit trips into the community or order online.

Furthermore, while the market itself was not closed at any point during the pandemic, customers’ ability to access the market was restricted. This was in part due to the closure of the Jackson Square entrance during Stage 1 and much of Stage 2, which is a primary entry point to the market. Many also relied on public transportation to attend the market and were understandably concerned about continuing to do so.

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However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere. While the numbers have not reached typical levels for this time of year, customers are slowly returning to the market. Some customers have commented to the market’s board of directors that they actually feel safer at the farmers’ market, as opposed to a larger supermarket.

However, despite these difficulties, the market remains open and continues to persevere.

Some current vendors, including Kollanthara, have also mentioned that while the pandemic brought many challenges, it also provided them with new opportunities, such as the time to learn how to develop and create an online platform for their business.

A couple of new businesses are even preparing to launch stalls at the market. The first, which opened in the market a few weeks ago, being Hotti Biscotti, a local, small-batch bakery. There are currently two other businesses in the process of setting up shop at the market.

“Two of them just presented to us at the last board meet on what they have to offer. So that's exciting for us . . . I would say it boosts our spirit to have new vendors setting up shop,” said Miller.

While these are without doubt difficult times, there is comfort to be found in the steady presence and perseverance of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. The market and its vendors have been present through all the storms that Hamilton has had to weather and by continuing to offer delicious food, fantastic flowers and charming crafts, they will help us weather this one as well.

The Hamilton’s Artists’ Inc. presents Geneviève Thauvette’s wall installation exploring modern news media

CW: mentions of abusive language and sexual assault

When Donald Trump was elected as the President of the United States in 2016, Geneviève Thauvette was so horrified that she smashed a vase. The multidisciplinary feminist Franco-Ontarian artist, who often explores the history of French-Canadian women in her work, was disgusted with the president’s abusive language and numerous sexual assault allegations.

Following that election, Thauvette watched as deepfakes and the term “fake news” rose to prominence. This prompted her to create a work that explores the ways in which the news media has changed over time.

The result is Breaking News, a series of hand-tinted self-portrait photographs manipulated by Photoshop. The colourful works depict Thauvette posing as a newscaster reporting on several serious subjects such as flood and dictatorship. First displayed in Ottawa in 2017, the work was put up as a set of billboards on the Hamilton Artists’ Inc.’s exterior Cannon Project Wall on Sept. 12, 2020.

The first thing one may notice when seeing the billboards is the use of bright colours and clown-like makeup. While the work employs Thauvette’s trademark of depicting herself as her characters, the use of lively colours is a slight departure from some of her earlier works. However, these elements were a way for her to highlight the idea of the media circus.

“So in the series, the characters are very kind of clown-esque and of course they're playing a role. They're there to entertain [which] represents the more contemporary or modern kind of newscaster in the sense that they're performers. They're not necessarily like your Tom Brokaw, talking head. They have to be a personality and that in itself, it's entertainment. It's not really meant to inform it's meant to sort of sway,” explained Thauvette.

"So in the series the characters are very kind of clown-esque and of course they're playing a role. They're there to entertain [which] represents the more contemporary or modern kind of newscaster in the sense that they're performers," explained Thauvette

By employing bright colours and comedic details like the spilled popcorn in Oh the Humanity, Thauvette invokes this idea of media as entertainment. However, the actual contents of the reports are far from funny.

The three billboards featured on the Cannon Project Wall depict the death and embalming of a dictator, a devastating flood and the abduction of a young girl. On the Hamilton Artists Inc. website, you can also find the parodic Batchild Weds Mystery Woman and Oh the Humanity, named after the famous exclamation Herbert Morrison made while reporting on the fire that destroyed the Hindenburg airship.

In many of these works the newscasters are more than just reporting on events, they are a part of them. A good example of this is in Oh the Humanity, where the newscaster herself pops the balloon representing the Hindenburg. This theme can also be seen in Chance of Rain, which depicts a flood.

“I wanted to touch on some key big events, like stereotypes almost of news reporters. So like the flood, the journalist knee-deep in water, you know, almost masquerading as a humanitarian or really . . .  putting themselves into the story whereas, are they really all that involved?” said Thauvette.

“I wanted to touch on some key big events, like stereotypes almost of news reporters. So like the flood, the journalist knee-deep in water, you know, almost masquerading as a humanitarian or really . . .  putting themselves into the story whereas are they really all that involved?” said Thauvette.

Adding to the power of the work is the fact that it is being presented on a billboard, making it reminiscent of outdoor digital and billboard advertising. Much like the news itself, it is a spectacle that confronts audiences when they are least expecting it.

Thauvette also expressed that having the work outdoors makes it more accessible. Especially during COVID-19 when art galleries have had to close their doors, this is a way for the audiences to safely interact with important work.

“[Since] it uses humor because it's so bright I think it will, I hope, give people pause to sort of think and reflect on kind of what's going on right now . . . [T]here is a certain crazed look to them so it's not quite exactly how the news is . . . but it's clearly representative of the news. So [I hope people reflect] on where things are going and how we interact with the news and be more careful [and] mindful with our interaction with the media,” said Thauvette.

Breaking News will be on the Cannon Project Wall until May 30, 2021.