Vancouver Underground Markets

No.  They won't be underground, and no, they won't be illegal either.

The residents of Vancouver are bringing back the informal, citizen-led, non-corporate, unregulated, local-economy-boosting, great-tasting, healthy, and fun concept of a Village Market.  While not an official Village Vancouver project, many of our members are actively involved in helping to set it up.

Its website will be here: www.vancouverundergroundmarket.com.  

Coming to a neighbourhood near you in the summer of 2011, the "birth year" of the oldest and most sustainable form of commerce to be invented (and reinvented) by humanity:

The Vancouver Underground Market

The Vancouver Underground Market is conceived as a "traveling road show" of mostly food and some crafts, sourced under the conditions "you grow it, you bake it, you make it."  All items may be distributed and sold in the market by anyone "working in collaboration" with any local grower/baker/producer of any item.  

The idea is that anyone can grow, raise, bake, cook, knit, throw, or even play music for a traveling pocket-market of sorts that will create a very local economy for very local goods.  

Operational details might include:

• Distribution and set-up using cargo bike trailers
• A centralized cash box to facilitate and record sales, and which might take a small percentage hold-back on all sales to support market infrastructure or to use as a tithe to provide healthy, local food to the less advantaged
• All goods may be bartered, traded, or even given away (if not competing with other goods for sale)
• Nothing will be wasted.  All unsold items will find an alternative outlet or use.
• Many locations throughout Vancouver to bring the concept of the "Farmers Market" closer to every neighbourhood and at more convenient times
• The durations of these markets might be just a few hours, rather than all day.
• Locations, times, and items available will be announced and promoted through all manner of social media channels from Twitter to Facebook to VV all-member Message Broadcasts.  This is just-in-time, market-driven operations brought to local commerce.
• All sales would be to Vancouver Underground Market "members" only.  Sign-ups are free with the sharing of an email address (to be used for future announcements of Underground Market visits to that same area).  Much as Facebook or Google accounts can now be used to sign up on many social media sites, a VV member could automatically be accepted as a member of the Vancouver Underground Market.
• All sales must be to persons over 19 years of age and a "liability waiver" will be posted to alert people that all items were produced under unregulated conditions for sale or provision only to club members.  

The project has no current approach on how to deal with sales tax (GST/HST) or income tax if they rise above certain minimum levels, but the project is confident that the conditions above are a good start to steer it clear of violations of current commerce, health, environmental, and public gathering laws.

The concept, as noted is hardly new, even in the modern age.  San Francisco has for several years had a project similar to this.

The project is creating a web site, and looking for local collaborators, producers, vendors, venues, volunteers, and borrowable assets, such as tents and tables, etc.  It is also applying for grants to cover web expenses, promotion, banners, and other miscellaneous set-up costs.

IDEAS ARE WANTED.  YOURS.  

Another ongoing discussion is here.