St. Patrick's Market facts for kids
St. Patrick's Market is a historic public market in Toronto. It's one of three important markets built in the 1800s, along with St. Lawrence Market and St. Andrew's Market. The building you see today was built in 1912. The City of Toronto recognized it as a special heritage site in 1975, meaning it's an important part of the city's history.
The Market's Long History
The land where St. Patrick's Market stands today, at 238 Queen Street West, was set aside for a public market way back in 1836. A man named D’Arcy Boulton gave the property to the city. He wanted it to be used as a public market forever.
The first market building was built in 1854. It was a two-story building with a tower, designed in a style called Italianate architecture. This building was later destroyed by a fire.
The current building, built in 1912, looks different. It has a style called Neo-Georgian or Colonial Revival. For many years, starting around 1929, a family business called A. Stork & Sons used the building. They sold fresh poultry, which means chickens and other birds, prepared right there for customers.
Changes and Challenges
After the mid-1980s, Stork & Sons closed. In 1988, the city made a deal with a company called Market Inc. The idea was to create an "exciting retail mini food market." They wanted it to feel like the famous St. Lawrence Market. It was supposed to have a bakery, and stalls selling meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meals.
However, this agreement became a bit tricky. The company, which renamed the building "the Queen Street Market," started running it more like a food court. This meant it had many take-out places, and even a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at one point. The city wasn't happy because it wasn't what they had agreed on.
Under pressure from the city, the owner, George Friedman, renovated the building. He brought back the "St. Patrick's" name, at least partly. He promised to reopen it as a market with different kinds of foods, both raw ingredients and prepared meals.
By 2011, Friedman had new plans. He wanted to turn the market into a food court called "The Grove." This new market would focus on healthy, organic food. Vendors would have to avoid using artificial flavors, colors, or hormones. There would be stalls for unprepared food and take-out. He also planned an outdoor farmer's market behind the building.
But by 2015, the market, now called the Queen Street Live Fresh Food Market, was mostly empty. Only a few shops remained, like a tea shop, a bakery, a jerk chicken take-out place, and a dessert shop selling chocolate and baklava.
In July 2017, the market had to close for a short time. This happened because of some cleanliness issues found by the public health department.
In 2018, the empty building was renovated again. This time, the plan was to call it "Queen Street Eats." The company leasing the building promised seven vendor stalls, new washrooms, better kitchens, a graffiti wall, and a seating area for guests. The city had not allowed a seating area before.
The Market's Future
In the fall of 2019, the city went to court. They wanted to end the lease agreement with Market Inc. The city said the company had not followed the rules, like failing to run a proper food market and not providing financial reports.
On December 12, 2019, the court agreed with the city. The court ruled that the lease agreement had been broken. It ended the lease and gave control of the empty market back to the city. The court also ordered Market Inc. to pay the city for damages and unpaid rent.
After the court's decision, Mayor John Tory said that this was the start of something new. He hoped the space would be used in a smart way that would bring the community together. He thought it might involve artists, retailers, and others. He said the main goal was to make the space lively again, as it had been quiet for too long.
