Yellowknife Farmers Market president France Benoit informed council of the benefits of the market during the April 22 council meeting.

And she did it with aplomb.

SA国际影视传媒淪even slides. LetSA国际影视传媒檚 go,SA国际影视传媒� she chuckled.

BenoitSA国际影视传媒檚 report on the farmers marketSA国际影视传媒檚 2023 season included completed surveys on the weekly summer event, conducted by Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. Benoit was able to say how wowed she was.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople appreciate the market, they appreciate the fact that its outdoors,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e were told it gives a sense of life, it was a lifeline during Covid.SA国际影视传媒�

What came as a surprise, she said, was how vulnerable populations feel safe coming to the market.

SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 a huge thing,SA国际影视传媒� she remarked.

Last year, the market had a total of 45 vendors, averaging 24 every week, with many of them being new, according to Benoit.

SA国际影视传媒淵ellowknife is not out of people with new and fresh ideas,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

The market received a total of $112,073 in grants in 2023 while attracting approximately 8,000 people last summer, according to its report. The attendance figure was calculated based on SA国际影视传媒減oint-in-time countsSA国际影视传媒� at 5:30 p.m. on market nights.

No doubt, the market faced some challenges last season also, notably how the wildfire evacuation created a loss of revenues for many vendors, Benoit said.

She also mentioned that the farmers market gets funding from the Department of Health to give food vouchers to organizations supporting people at risk of food insecurity.

According to a 2021 food infrastructure report from city, in 2017-18, more than a fifth of NWT households were food insecure.

The organizations that Benoit referred to give their food vouchers to their clients so they can come to the market and eat like everybody else, she explained.

The non-profit farmers market has been operating for 12 years, from June to September.

And by the sounds of it, it will stay that way for years to come.

Wrapping up her presentation, Benoit gave thanks to city council for its financial support.

SA国际影视传媒淲e cannot stress enough the importance of multi-year funding, how it gives us breathing room and space.SA国际影视传媒�

Benoit said the market is using the next couple of years to grow the next generation of volunteers and board members, as well look for a potential future vice-president and president.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a great opportunity and moral responsibility to pass on our knowledge on how to run a market,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome of us need to retire in the next two years, and instead of being saddened and scared by this prospect, we are emboldened.SA国际影视传媒�

Benoit invited Mayor Rebecca Alty to ring the bell on the marketSA国际影视传媒檚 opening day on June 4. Whether she does has yet to be confirmed.