A fight is brewing in Ottawa’s Alta Vista neighbourhood over a fruit and vegetable stand.
The stand is run by the Foster Family Farm from the parking lot of the Rideau Park United Church.
One of the owners says it has been forced to close due to concerns it's commercializing the residential area.
"We sell fresh produce all grown on the farm, we’re very healthy for the community, and we’d love to keep selling," said Leah Macgregor, a Foster Family Farm employee.
For the past three years, the stand has been open from about May to late October, six days a week.
The farm is located in North Gower.
Mel Foster, one of the farm’s owners, says he was told the City received a complaint from a neighbour about the stand.
He said the complaint was over a commercial stand operating in a residential area that is not zoned for commercial use.
He says bylaw staff told him the stand had to be shut down by the Thanksgiving weekend, and would not be allowed to open again next year.
Owners have started a petition garnering support to keep the stand open. In about a week, they’ve gathered more than 300 signatures from customers.
Foster says he will take the petition to his city councillor and to the city councillor in the Alta Vista ward, hoping to find a way to bring the stand back next spring.
