Non-food vendors had previously been prevented from selling their products in spaces that were indoors, during last years COVID-19 restrictions that had been implemented for several months. Now, flower vendors are fighting to try and change that because they want to be included in farmers markets this spring.

Farmers markets are going to pop up all over the lower mainland this spring, and if those flower vendors cannot sell their products at inside locations then they are drastically limited from what business they can do. For some who sell at those farmers markets it would be their main source of revenue and when they had to stop selling in indoor spaces that put a stop to earning substantial revenue.

This hurts many small businesses around the region who are flower vendors. They might not be growing food to sell in those indoor farmers markets but they are growing something, and they want to be able to sell those flowers just the same.

A petition has been started urging health officials to allow non-food vendors back into farmers markets.

That petition has already gathered thousands of signatures.

They are aiming for at least 5k signatures and they’ve already got more than 3.4k right now.

Spring is arriving in a few weeks and it is prime season for them to sell their flowers. If they aren’t able to get into the farmers market to do it then much of their flower crop might go to waste. These are crops that had been planted last fall in anticipation that things might be better by now.

Until the rules change, those selling non-food items have the option of selling through online sales and doing pick-up orders. But for some flower vendors it is the Vancouver Farmers Market and other farmers markets that they are used to seeing the most business.