| Toronto’s Sunday Antique Market is Back |
 After a 16 month long Covid enforced shut down, Toronto’s much loved iconic Sunday Antique Market at St. Lawrence will be reopening on August 29th. For retail therapy starved Toronto, the re-opening of the venerable Sunday Antique Market is exciting news. Deemed a “non-essential” business the market was forced by Covid-19 restrictions to close for 16 long months. For owner and founder Marlene Cook, the opening couldn’t come soon enough. “It was devastating,” says Cook – all those people who depended on it for their livelihood and customers too. I was really moved by their heartfelt stories of how much the market meant to them. It was part of their lives, not just a retail experience. For 30 years, the market has generated a real sense of community.” Vendor Kevin from Angel Eye Antiques echos that sentiment. “To me the market is all about connection,” he says. And diversity – people of all ages and cultural backgrounds frequent the market. It’s intergenerational where people can find a microcosm of history.” For the young he says, it’s new and exciting, a venue that is avant guard and cool and ahead of trend. To the designer it’s creative inspiration. For everyone it’s the thrill of the hunt. Kevin, a 12-year veteran at the Sunday Antique Market sells vintage jewellery and mid-century Canadiana. “My livelihood stopped,” he says. “I was devastated. I thought, ‘what am I going to do now?’ I tried to sell online. It’s just not the same thing. There isn’t that wonderful human connection. “We find homes for these objects and give people a little love at the same time. It gives me so such pleasure to find treasures and pass them on to people, to carry the torch so to speak. The market means so much to me. I didn’t know if we would ever be able to re-open so the fact that we’ve been given the green light by the city is fantastic.” Adan Escobar has been a vendor at the market for 25 years, selling jewellery, vintage toys, coins and other collectibles. “I lost half my income,” he says, “but it’s not just about business – it’s a social event, and a happy event for people. People share their life stories and their adventures. I can hardly wait to re-open.” The Sunday Antique Market will open August 29th, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays with full Covid-19 protocols in place which means significantly wider aisles to allow for social distancing. Masking and hand sanitizing will also be required. |
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