News

What we heard

4 April 2025

Thanks to everyone who answered a survey, shared their ideas, or had a conversation with us last year. Here is a summary of what we heard from you.

Key Insights

Here are some things we learned about why you visit the Market and what you do while you’re there.

Areas to improve

You also shared your concerns and ideas for how we can improve your experience visiting the Market.

Half (50%) of respondents said they find parking difficult. According to these participants, parking has been a problem for a while, especially with the new construction of high-rise buildings and one-way lanes.

Over 40% of respondents suggested hosting more community events. We especially heard support for children’s activities and classes and for more arts, culture and entertainment events.

A total of 40% of respondents suggested increasing the variety of vendors. Also, although 25% of respondents identified as a member of a racialized group, only a few described the Market as ‘diverse’. They suggested having more vendors that reflect the community's diversity.

About one-third (30%) of respondents said they think improvements are needed to make the Market feel safer and more welcoming.

Nearly one-third (30%) of respondents said the Saturday Market is overcrowded. Another 20% found the hours of operation inconvenient and 30% suggested extending the Market’s hours during the week.

What's next?

We strive to create a Market that everyone can enjoy. We will respond to your feedback by doing the following:

  1. Work together with community partners to create more diverse events, kids’ activities, and classes – and to attract more diverse vendors
  2. Ensure additional staffing to keep a visible and safe presence on-site. Staff will be trained in discretion and conflict resolution. Vendors and community partners will be briefed on community guidelines and safety procedures.
  3. Try extended weekday hours for our food hall during the summer months
  4. Promote different options for visiting the Market, including:
    • Using the free additional parking on Saturdays on Scott Street and Market Lane
    • Using public transit, the Kitchener Market ION stop is just a 1-minute walk away
    • Avoiding peak visitor hours (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) if possible

We hope to see you soon!

This project is now complete, but we always want to hear from our community and improve. Feel free to reach out any time to Cameron Dale, Kitchener Market Manager, at cameron.dale@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2345 (TTY:4-866-969-9994)