Businesses at the Wednesday Farmer’s Market in Kamloops appear to be benefiting from the street being closed off to traffic.

Victoria Street is closed between 4th and 5th avenues from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for the market.

That started last week, and owner of Thistle Farms Dieter Dudy says it has made a noticeable difference.

“It’s busier. It’s much, much busier. I think people feel they’re much more comfortable coming down here. The way it was prior to this, it was a narrow corridor that people have to walk down, and they just didn’t feel safe. In doing this, you get a much better market atmosphere but more importantly you get the space where people can feel comfortable,” Dudy says.

“We have done it in the past, but we would do it for sort of one-offs. Maybe in July or August we would take one day and do that, and it always made sense. Because it gave it more of a market feel, it became a focal point for the downtown area. And that’s exactly what this is doing now, it’s got that great feel to it. Much like a Saturday market but just in a smaller scale.”

The permit to close the street will last until the end of September but there is potential for it to go longer.

Dudy was asked if this is an idea that could continue in future years, even when concerns of the pandemic are no longer imminent.

“I think to a great degree we could see more of this. I’ve always advocated for a pedestrian mall, so to speak, in the downtown area, at least for the summer period. So we’ll test it with this and see if other blocks decide that they’re going to do the same thing for a while.”