KITCHENER -- One of Canada’s oldest antique markets opened on Sunday, weeks after it normally would.
The Aberfoyle Antique Market is primarily outdoors, sitting on over 35 acres, which allowed for distancing and parking for the busy day.
The market is celebrating 60 years in operation, but this summer it reopened looking slightly different from previous years.
“It's nice to have the market family back together again. Get rolling again. I think people just appreciate safety for the most part,” says Doug Lane, Aberfoyle Antique Market.
The bathrooms are open and food is being served, but the playground is still closed.
Face coverings are mandatory, and for the most part, staff say they have not had much trouble enforcing that rule.
Stanley Silver has been an antique dealer for 40 years and is adjusting to the new rules.
“I wore a mask this morning, but my glasses kept fogging up. I find the face shield much better. I can talk to customers,” says Silver, who owns Stan's Antiques.
“Not only are people here, they're actually buying stuff. I think it has to do with people being pent up.”
After spending time in isolation, they say this is a chance to stretch the imagination, from interior or exterior design, to jewelry and historic medals.
Antique dealers say they are more than happy to get back in the game.
“The selling is okay, but actually the purchasing is a lot of fun and so the biggest challenge of being in limbo is you can't spend too much money. I can't go out and buy,” says John Deml of Orange Cat Antiques.
“We got rid of a lot of stuff, opened it up. We widened out aisles so there's lots of room for people to just go in one direction,” says Alison Vanderkop at A1 Antiques.
Typically the market would have opened to customers at the end of April.
“We're only open 27 Sundays a year, and a couple of Saturdays so when you start missing them it really counts,” explains Lane.
Organizers say the current plan now is to keep the market open until the end of October.
