Saanich’s residential neighbourhoods may soon be home to roadside stands after council unanimously voted to amend bylaws that will permit local garden produce to be sold on private property.
Small producers and market gardeners will be allowed to erect roadside stands on their properties.
The changes also allow temporary farmer’s markets to set up in places like schools and church parking lots, as long as organizers have an agreement with the property owners.
The roadside stands would include restrictions on sale of processed foods, would not be allowed to operate on boulevards and would have to have a business licence, although there would be no fee for that licence.
Larger-scale farm markets will be permitted in most public parks, at recreation centres and Saanich Municipal Hall, and on provincially owned land, public rights-of-way and church properties. Those events can include mobile food vendors and live entertainment.
Saanich staff have suggested that suitable parks for temporary farm markets could include Beckwith Park, Braefoot Park, Tyndall Park, Cadboro-Gyro Park, Copley West Park, Reynolds Park, Hyacinth Park, Glanford Park and Rosedale Park.
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