Covent Garden Market

Founded in 1845, the Covent Garden Market is a proud piece of London's past, a vibrant part of its present, and by reaching out to new generations, a vital element of its future. The sawdust-covered floors of yesteryear have been replaced by a spacious two-story facility filled to the rafters with food, fun and culture, but the spirit of community remains the same.

The Covent Garden Market is home to many special events throughout the year, with activities for children and families, but also an increasing number of opportunities for teens. The Market is becoming an increasingly popular location for family events, due to a combination of a community-minded staff and ample available space in an ideal downtown setting.

The Market features public spaces indoors and outdoors suitable for any event, including the Labatt Lounge, the London Free Press Market Kitchen and Market Hall, plus the outdoor Market Square and Rotary Rink. Rental fees for the Market's facilities are very reasonable, especially for not-for-profit groups.

The Market administration is actively creating new partnerships and bringing even more exciting family- and child-friendly events to the Covent Garden Market. The vendors at the Market are also eager to be involved, offering their time and materials to many different programs.

In recent months, the Covent Garden Market has struck a partnership with the Glen Cairn Community Centre. In the coming year, this partnership will collaborate on a significant number of opportunities for teens from the centre. The first outcome of that partnership is an upcoming "coffeehouse" to be held at the Market in the coming weeks.

Later this year, the teens from Glen Cairn will also take part in a job creation program. Two or three times a year, the Market conducts customer counting, tallying the number of visitors, and speaking to the customers to find out what they like and would they would improve about the Market. Last year, teens from Youth Opportunities Unlimited were employed; this year, teens from Glen Cairn will have the chance to participate. These job opportunities will help them learn customer service and researching skills and the importance of presenting a pleasant, helpful demeanor. A job-shadowing program is also in development, with teens shadowing vendors in the Market, to learn all aspects of running a successful business.

Another upcoming project that has everyone excited is an adaptation of the Food from the Hood project started in Los Angeles after the riots in 1992. Food from the Hood started as a community-building exercise, with teens running their own business growing food for shelters. Within a couple of years, the students were turning their crops into a popular line of salad dressings, and using the proceeds to finance scholarships and other worthwhile activities. The students learned valuable skills through hands-on involvement in the growing, processing, marketing and sales of their salad dressings, as well as building self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.

When the Market starts its version of Food in the Hood later this year, teens from Youth Opportunities Unlimited will be responsible for every aspect of the project. This will include growing fresh produce on donated land outside London, harvesting and processing the crop and then staffing and maintaining a kiosk at the Market to sell their product. Look for the first batch to hit the Market in 2003.

Kids Cook is an exciting program that teaches cooking techniques to children 8-16 on Saturday afternoons. The Market brings in local chefs and culinary experts to create a month's worth of hour-long seminars, and teach the children how to make healthy and delicious treats. In August, Natalie Davison will have her students create pizza pasta, an edible cookie bowl and garlic ice cream. In June, children worked with chef Dee Biggar to create fun fruit snacks, pizza faces and sizzling BBQ items like cheesy hamburgers, salads and shish kabobs. The YMCA also uses the kitchen facilities for their children's cooking camps.

There is also lots to do for younger children! One such program is Little Sprouts is a free craft program each Saturday for young children. Run by Beyond the Fridge Door, the crafts are simple projects to keep children entertained, and allow their parents to shop. Young students love coming to the Covent Garden Market on school trips, learning about the different products for sale, and taking part in age-appropriate activities, such as scavenger hunts or colouring.

The Covent Garden Market also hosts numerous special events and festivals throughout the year, and tries to offer a family-friendly aspect to each one. To make culinary celebrations like the Italian and Garlic Festivals more family friendly, the Market ensures there are special activities for geared toward children at each event. Several times through the Summer and Fall, the Apple Land Train will travel from the Market to the Central Library and to several other stops, offering families a fun trip through downtown London.

For the past two years, the Covent Garden Market has been involved in the Lighting of the Lights. Two years ago, after the official ceremonial lighting in Victoria Park, more than 2000 people paraded down to the Rotary Rink at the Market to watch a professional ice skating show. Last year, when unseasonably warm weather made ice-making impossible, the Market presented an evening of carol singing. If cooler weather prevails this December, the Market will stage another skating extravaganza.

In addition to food, art and culture are key aspects of the Market. The busker program gives young musicians a chance to show off their talents in public, while the mezzanine is home to the Children's Theatre, Beyond the Fridge Door art school and a number of other cultural tenants.

On August 24, Investing in Children will be partnering with the Market to present an Art show, featuring works by the students of the Arts Adventure program. Works in many different media will be on display outdoors in the Market Square (or indoors on the mezzanine in the event of rain).

Investing in Children and the Market previously teamed up to present a Family Literacy Event in July. Children and parents enjoyed the storytelling of Diane Halpin, a hands-on demonstration by Let's Talk Science, facepainting with clowns Dandeelion and Dimples and math activities provided by Esso Family Math.

For "grown up kids", the market offers a delightful mix of rural, urban and international tastes with organic foods, fresh meats and seafood, ethnic foods, sweets and the largest selection of cheese in Southwestern Ontario complimented by two outstanding restaurants and much more. The twice-weekly seasonal outdoor farmer's market brings in the freshest meats, produce and baked goods from the surrounding area.

Investing in Children, through It Starts with Kids and the Special Friends of Children Business Awards, recognizes businesses that adopt family-friendly practices, both for their customers and their employees.

If you would like to see your business or company profiled in this space, send an e-mail to info@investinginchildren.on.ca briefly outlining what makes your workplace or practices family-friendly and unique.