The following are my (Joey Coleman) live posts as published on my BlueSky account during the June 29, 2026 Hamilton City Council meeting on the future of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.
[June 29, 2026 at 9:39 AM]: Good morning, City Council is underway, sitting today to hear the recommendations of the latest consultant hired to review the Hamilton Farmers Market. Only 9 of 16 Council Members on time today. (Roll Call in the ALT text) Consultant recommendations basically same as past consultants. #yhmcc 🧵
[9:48 AM]: Latest Plan proposes, again much the same as all the other consultants, the Market be governed by a professional board of directors, that the Directors not be in a conflict of interest, that the Market have a business plan to reach an operationally balanced budget, that the Market focus on customers #yhmcc
[9:48 AM]: Today’s consultant’s report is a 115-page governance and operations package. The Board will shift to nine (9) members with directors with a focus on expertise. Vendors and Councillors can be non-voting members of the Board. #yhmcc
[9:48 AM]: There will still be plenty of committees and community advisory boards.
[9:48 AM]: The new Board will have four committees: two standing (Governance & Risk; Finance & Audit) and two ad hoc (Strategy; Infrastructure & Fundraising). Two new advisory bodies are proposed: a Vendor Advisory Board (12 Market vendors) and a Community Advisory Board (12 Hamilton community members)
[9:48 AM]: Finances: over the next five years, the Market will increase stallholder rents to approach prevailing commercial rents. The Market has lagged behind comparable commercial rents for years, including a seven-year rent freeze.
[9:48 AM]: A new “Incubator Program” would let new vendors enter the Market at a reduced stall fee for up to two years — supporting new vendors before they move to standard rates. Up to 10 per cent of stalls can be designated incubator spots.
[9:48 AM]: The consultants recommend reviewing hours: Should the Market serve customers in the evening? Should it seek to gain revenue from people attending events at Copps Coliseum? Should it open on Sunday when Downtown residents can shop? #yhmcc
[9:55 AM]: Market’s oversight will move from the City’s Real Estate Section to Culture and Tourism. Market used to be within Culture and Tourism. In 2014, the Culture and Tourism Division moved from Community Services Department to Planning and EcDev department. EcDev did not want the Market headache [1/3]
[9:55 AM]: With EcDev not wanting to deal with the Market, the City’s Director of Revenue generation ended up in charge of the facility. When he retired in early 2020, his replacement didn’t want the headache. Market ended up with the Chief Digital Officer – cause reasons. [2/3]
[9:55 AM]: In approx. 2022, the Market moved over to the City’s Real Estate Section. Why? Cause again, nobody at City Hall wanted the headache of dealing with Market drama. Today, the City’s relatively new Director of Culture and Tourism actually wants the Market, and wants it to succeed. #yhmcc [3/3]
[10:26 AM]: Council members having a lengthy discussion regarding if a member of City Council should be a voting member of the new Market Board. #yhmcc
[10:54 AM]: Council votes 4-6 against a motion to make the Council Member on the new Board a voting member. And then Council unanimously approves the consultant’s report, and the enacting of a new Board structure. This has to go to Council for ratification on July 15. #yhmcc
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: June 29, 2026
Last updated: June 29, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version