TORONTO: Hours of operation at the City of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market has been expanded for a one-year pilot project, starting Sunday, July 31.
The pilot project is the result of a recent review of the Market’s hours of operation, which included public feedback and an evaluation of how operational improvements can help the Market better serve residents of Toronto and visitors to the city.
New operating hours for the South Market (main building) under the pilot will be:
• Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Closed on Mondays
The St. Lawrence Market Saturday Farmers Market will operate from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekly.
As the Market transitions into the expanded hours of operation, Tuesdays will be a flexible day for South Market merchants for the first six weeks. Each Tuesday, up to and including Tuesday, September 6, some merchants may be closed to the public or operate with reduced hours. St. Lawrence Market will keep customers informed of modified merchant operations on Tuesdays on its website www.stlawrencemarket.com/. All merchants will be open for the full duration of operating hours on all other days.
The pilot will run for one year from July 31 and will inform a more permanent operating schedule for the remainder of 2023 and beyond. The revised hours of operation will make the Market more accessible with service hours that meet visitors’ changing needs and preferences.
The changes include having the Market open on Sundays, as well as later morning opening times and later weekday evening closing times. Consumer feedback received in the recent public survey conducted by the City indicated that there was high demand for customers to be able to shop after regular office working hours and on Sundays as an additional weekend shopping day. Based on this feedback the expanded operating hours include two additional hours of operation weekday evening and a seven-hour additional shopping day on Sundays.
Mayor John Tory said: “The new hours of operation pilot project will ensure that more people – residents and visitors to our city – have the opportunity to experience this amazing, historic Toronto destination. I encourage everyone to visit the St. Lawrence Market and take advantage of the new hours to come to support our fantastic Market vendors.”
St. Lawrence Market is a renowned international food market featuring 120 merchants, vendors and farmers, offering fresh produce, meats and specialty items. Serving Toronto residents and international visitors since 1803, the St. Lawrence Market Complex consists of St. Lawrence Hall, the South Market and the North Market – the latter now in its temporary home at 125 The Esplanade.
Meanwhile, Project for Public Spaces has named Toronto as the host city for the 11th International Public Markets Conference to take place from June 8 to 10, 2023 throughout Toronto. It will be co-hosted by Project for Public Space with the City, St. Lawrence Market and Market City TO. The three-day event will convene more than 300 leaders in public markets from across the globe.