Djeneba Dosso
LJI Reporter
When asked if shopping at public markets is a luxury, Lucie Daragon was quick to replace the
word luxury with investment. The senior has been attending markets across the Outaouais for
more years than she can count and in her opinion, it is clear that when paying for fresh produce,
every penny is worth spending.
“It is not a luxury, it’s an investment to encourage our people, our producers, and it’s important
to do it,” she said. “Some people are passionate about it, some people aren’t interested in it, but
the goal is finding those people who aren’t interested and making them curious enough to come
check it [public markets] out.”
Over the years, Gatineau has amassed an army of markets, each located in different sectors of the
city and offering various selections of vendors and products. These markets are made accessible
based not only on their location but on their hours of operations as well, which often fall on
weekends. Yet, Daragon notes most markets are frequented by regulars and an older crowd rather
than new and young faces.
“People don’t come because they assume it’s too expensive, but we pay for the quality and the
freshness,” she said. “Often in grocery stores, it’s a long way off—they travel a long way with it,
they arrive here, the next day they put it on the shelves. Here, produce is often picked in the
morning and sold that same morning or early afternoon.”
The question remains; besides pricing and freshness, what sets supermarkets apart from public
markets? For some it may be selection, for others practicality, as most markets are only open
once a week. For Marguerite Jarry Suarez, owner of Studio Crudo, what makes public markets
unique is community. The entrepreneur has been creating vegan candles and custom tote bags
since the pandemic. After refining her work, she began looking for places to possibly sell it and
public markets welcomed her with open arms. Now, she displays her work at the Vieux-Hull and
Outaouais Creative markets two to three times each month. She’s found that the long or short
exchanges with each customer makes all the difference.
“I love connecting with people. I am from the Dominican Republic, and we’re known to be
warm-blooded,” she said. “It’s great being able to talk with different people and the other
vendors who have become great friends— if one day I ever need a necklace I know who to call
and I would be supporting their business.”
Buying and supporting local businesses is “of paramount importance” for Daragon.
“It’s important to keep an eye on the ecology, the environment and our ecological footprint,” she
continued. “If anything happens, we’ll have no more farmers, no more market gardeners; we’ll
have nothing. You’ve got to support them and buy locally.”
Each market in Gatineau and the Outaouais region will be open throughout the summer until the
end of the season in October. Whether it be produce, clothing, artisanal work or local gems, a
public market near you may just have what you’re looking for.
Find a public market near you
Vieux-Hull Market (currently seeking more vendors)
1 Wellington Street (Gatineau)
Every Thursday from 930 am to 130 pm
Plateau Market (currently seeking more vendors)
205 de Bruxelles Street
Every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm
Old-Aylmer Market
117 Principale Street
Every Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm
Notre-Dame Market
330 Notre-Dame Street
Every Friday from 11 am to 3 pm
Buckingham Farmers’ Market
390 Buckingham Ave
Every Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm
Chelsea Market
23 Cecil Rd
Every Thursday from 4 pm to 7 pm
Photo caption
Photo #1: Marguarite Jarry Suarez has been displaying and selling her handmade candles and tote bags at the Vieux-Hull public markets for a little over a year now. Used to seeing the same faces, she encourages young and curious people to come see what each market has to offer for them. (DD) Photo: Djeneba Dosso