Market pilot project to aid underserviced areas

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

The grounds at Harfang des Neiges Elementary school were painted with the colours of fresh fruits and vegetables this past Sunday as the Nourrir Montréal public market pilot

project made its first of two appearances in Pierrefonds.

Throughout September and the beginning of October, Nourrir Montréal is organizing public markets in nine neighbourhoods that do not have easy access to fresh produce at local supermarkets, with the goal of encouraging people to use more fruits and vegetables in their diet.

“In some areas, there are no supermarkets or public markets that are close by,” explained Nourrir Montréal project coordinator Josée Belleau, adding the markets will give residents in the nine neighbourhoods an opportunity to buy fresh, local produce at a reasonable price. It is estimated that in Montreal and its surrounding areas, it costs about $6.11 per person, per day to keep up healthy and sufficient nutrition. However, about one out of four people have difficulty doing this. And, according to Belleau, when an area is not well serviced by supermarkets or public markets, fresh fruit and vegetables are both hard to come by and overpriced.

Nourrir Montréal, a Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal (CRE) program dedicated to the healthy and affordable nutrition, has been planning the pilot project for two years. According to Belleau, they approached 14 municipalities, of which nine agreed to participate. Nourrir Montréal contributed $3,000 for each market to supplement the resources the municipalities put aside.

“But organizing something like this is worth a lot more,” Belleau pointed out. “If you count the equipment rentals, all of the volunteers, and all of the resources, it adds up to double, triple the ($3,000) amount.#

Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough mayor Monique Worth said the initiative is something areas like eastern Pierrefonds could really benefit from.

“I think we have to sensitize people to nutrition. It’s very important,” Worth said, adding the markets may encourage people to use fresh produce for their meals instead of turning to fast food and other unhealthy options. “The project is a very good initiative. People in that area will certainly benefit from this.”

CRE president and Lachine Mayor Claude Dauphin said the markets will provide citizens an opportunity to get the fresh fruits and vegetables they would otherwise not have easy access to. He added the St. Pierre district of his borough, where a market was held on Saturday, is a perfect example.

“It’s a former municipality with no grocery (stores). People have to go to the dépanneur to buy their food,” he said, adding the closest grocery stores are in LaSalle and Lachine. “People need a car to get there. And don’t forget, 33 per cent of our families in Montreal don’t have cars... It’s unbelievable the amount of our population that does not have accessibility to fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s a matter of health.”

According to Belleau, if attendance and sale numbers are high, the markets may continue in the future.

“We’ll evaluate the data once the project is done,” Belleau said. “If things go well, we may hold the markets on a larger scale.”

The second Pierrefonds market will take place on Sept. 16 at the Harfang des Neiges Elementary school in the Lauzon Pavilion, 4770 Pierre-Lauzon St. Vendors open for business at about 9 a.m. and generally will stay open until they are sold out.