Edible Vancouver Island May/June 2023

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growth and success is due to the market’s current manager, Launie Elves, who has brought in dozens of vendors and helped many of these businesses flourish to sales even beyond the market. (There are now over 100 vendors present there during the peak season.) The Errington Farmers’ Market has also thrived over the years, with an even longer history than the Qualicum Beach Farmer’s Market. It was founded in 1972 by Geraldine Shaw, her father and her husband and sons. The family took their inspiration from the large open-air farmer’s market in Roseville, California, deciding to open a small country market in the Parksville Qualicum Beach region. This was a new concept at the time and as a result, the Errington Farmers’ Market became one of Vancouver Island’s first farmer’s markets. Shaw envisioned a very nature-forward market nestled in the trees. So the family cleared bush opposite the Errington store and built rustic wooden stalls, which were soon filled with vendors selling produce, crafts and baking. The market became a popular destination, and in the 1980s, the Errington Market Society was formalized to ensure it would continue in a sustainable fashion into the future. Shaw passed away in 1988 after a fight with cancer, and in 1992, the market was moved to its current location near the Errington War Memorial–still situated in the woods as Shaw envisioned it so many years prior.

The Errington Farmers’ Market’s natural environment is one of the things long-time market shopper Beverley McCoy has always loved about it. She recalls her first visit encountering people dancing on the dirt floor in the woods surrounded by these little vendors, and what a unique experience that was. To this day, she loves “that it’s in the woods, in the dirt.” She’s been going to the market for 43 years, so she’s seen its changes and growth, and while it’s a little less “hippy” than it used to be, it’s still full of beautiful people gathering together to support their community. And while it has a long history, she hopes it will also have a long future. McCoy’s daughter, at just 15 years old, is the market’s assistant manager, a testament to how the market is a treasured part of the community for those both young and old. McCoy dreams of a day when, should she have grandchildren, she can share the colourful market experience with them on Saturday mornings. “I hope it will still be there for my grandkids, and they’ll still be able to experience the energy and the greatness of it.”