Vendors take over Mill Market

There were few changes evident to the public, if any.

But when the popular Mill Market at 35 Canal Drive opened for Saturday's business, it was under new ownership as a nonprofit vendors operation.

"We have a not-for-profit board that just got incorporated in the last week," market manager Rebekah Verdone told SooToday.

The new vendors group has 10 board members: six of them market vendors and four at-large members.

It's chaired by Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services.

In February 2014, the city granted Justus Veldman's Mill Market Inc. a five-year contract, allowing it to use the old municipal hatchery site rent-free.

As SooToday reported in April, that arrangement expired on March 31.

"The nice thing was that there was no hiccup to any customers that came. That was really important to everybody," Verdone said.

"Everything about the way it looks and the brands and everything, those won't change."

The original idea was to allow Veldman's group to use the building rent-free, paying only taxes assessed on the old hatchery property, eventually demolishing that structure and moving to a permanent home in the former St. Mary's Paper board mill.

Terms of the city's arrangement with the new vendors group weren't immediately known, but demolishing the building doesn't appear to be a short-term priority, seeing that the City of Sault Ste. Marie just finished putting a new roof on the municipally owned structure.

Earlier this year, Tom Vair, the city's deputy chief administrative officer for community development and enterprise services, said that Mill Market Inc. owed $76,500 in back taxes on the property and about $25,500 in provincial fines for building infractions.

The private company said it only made enough to cover the market's operating expenses, and arrangements were proposed by the city to provide some debt relief in exchange for market assets including a walk-in freezer, tables and other considerations.

As a non-profit entity, the vendors' group will be eligible for funding for things like internships and capital upgrades that weren't available to a private-sector owner, Vair said.

Verdone served notice some time ago that she would be leaving her position, but stayed on to ensure a smooth transition to non-profit ownership.

Her job was recently posted and candidates are now being evaluated and interviewed.

"The Mill Market manager will report directly to the community board members in consultation with the Mill Market Sault Ste. Marie board. The manager will work closely with the committees on an ongoing basis," the job posting said.

Among other duties, the manager will be expected to "establish and maintain relationships with farmers and other market vendors, recruit vendors as needed, and administer vendor applications" and to "work with Algoma Public Health to ensure vendor compliance with health department requirements regarding food safety."