LAST EDITED ON JUNE 22ND

Montreal, May 6, 2020 – Montreal’s Public Markets, some of the city’s favourite places to buy local produce, are switching over to summer mode. More and more farmers and local businesses are setting up their colourful stalls in the Jean-Talon, Atwater and Maisonneuve markets. Visitors can start enjoying the new season, with opening hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, starting today at the Jean-Talon and Maisonneuve markets, and starting tomorrow, May 7, at the Atwater Market.

As a designated essential service, the public markets are open and closely following government health directives. Existing measures are reassessed regularly based on the latest advisories as well as on-site observations. Safety measures are based on the recommendations of the Direction régionale de santé publique and are aimed at minimizing risks for shoppers and workers alike.

• Outdoor areas secured with fences to limit access and occupancy
• Crowd-management team stationed at access points
• Mandatory handwashing upon entering and exiting the secured area
• New handwashing stations in the markets’ central areas
• Widening of the central concourse at Jean-Talon Market to enable one-way traffic
• All vendors required to install a protective barrier between employees and customers
• Contactless payment encouraged
• Creation of pick-up and delivery zones
• Take-out encouraged by food-service providers
• Tables were rearranged according to the six-feet distance rule
• The north and south sides of Jean-Talon Market are closed to vehicles during business hours to ensure visitor safety and more fluid pedestrian traffic
• More frequent cleaning of high-risk areas

All visitors are asked to take the following precautions in order to keep the markets operating smoothly:

• Make a grocery list and have a clear idea of your needs before entering the market
• Shop alone or with one essential helper
• Leave children at home, if possible
• If possible, visit during normal quiet times: Monday to Wednesday at the beginning and end of the day.

“The warm season that’s just getting started will, of course, bring new safety challenges, and the safety of our customers and merchants remains our top priority. Thanks to the commitment and cooperation of our members, we are able to keep making fresh produce available to Montrealers, along with a shopping experience as faithful as possible to the experience that only our public markets can offer,” said Nicolas Fabien-Ouellet, interim executive director of the Corporation de gestion des marchés publics de Montréal.

Supporting the local economy and minimizing physical contact
You can also support our merchants without visiting a market! In all of our markets, multiple vendors are offering a fresh produce delivery service and advance order preparation. The complete list of options is available on the Marchés publics de Montréal website. It is updated as more merchants participate. So far, the initiative has been a big hit with shoppers.

At the city’s busiest market, Jean-Talon, pre-selected produce baskets are available for delivery thanks to a pilot project in partnership with PanierQuébécois.com. A new bike-delivery initiative, a collaboration between the SDC Petite-Italie, La roue libre and Livraison Vélo Montréal, is also in the works.

Buying local: important now and always
The opening of the summer season at our Public Markets always brings fresh new flavours to our tables. More than 40 merchants will join their year-round colleagues at Jean-Talon Market, as will 20 at Atwater Market. They are all eager to share their knowledge, tips and stories with customers – at a safe two metres, of course!

Eating local is more important than ever. As well as giving you the chance to enjoy local products of unparalleled quality, eating local supports our workers and helps reduce excess packaging and long-distance shipping. #JeMangeMtl is a mark of solidarity and pride – share it widely.

About Montréal’s Public Markets
Founded in 1993, the Corporation for the Management of Montréal’s Public Markets is a non-profit organization that manages and develops the major Public Markets in the Montreal area – Jean-Talon, Atwater, Maisonneuve – and some ten Neighborhood and Solidarity Markets. Its goals are to ensure that Montrealers have access to local and fresh products in the heart of their community.