Recovery work enters next phase at Kitchener Market as Fall Fair celebrates local vendors and community

Since the July 12 fire at the Kitchener Market, the City of Kitchener has focused on supporting vendors, maintaining market operations and ensuring residents continue to have access to local products and services every Saturday.  

Today, the City is marking another important milestone in the Kitchener Market building recovery.  

Woodhouse Restoration Services, a Kitchener-based company, is now on-site to complete the remediation and restoration work as the City advances toward reopening the Kitchener Market building. As the City continues to encourage residents and organizations to support local businesses, this project represents another opportunity to invest in local expertise and keep economic benefits within the community.  

Before on-site remediation and restoration work could begin, the City completed the planning and assessments needed to understand the full extent of the damage, identify the work needed to safely reopen the building and select a qualified remediation and restoration contractor. These steps were necessary to ensure the building can be safely reopened, and protect the interests of vendors, customers and taxpayers. 

To date, the City has invested in temporary infrastructure to support vendor participation and maintain operations while continuing to identify opportunities to bring more vendors back online wherever possible. These efforts have helped ensure the Market remains an important destination for residents looking to support local businesses. 

“Our focus has been clear: support vendors, keep the Market open and continue creating opportunities for residents to shop local. This included investments in temporary infrastructure so we could keep the majority of vendors operating while keeping the Market open every Saturday during the entire recovery period,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “As the remediation and restoration work gets underway, we are pleased to see it being led by a Kitchener-based company, reflecting our commitment to Support Local and Build Kitchener at every opportunity. Our Kitchener Market team continues to work towards bringing vendors and customers back into the Market building as quickly and safely as possible."   

This next phase of remediation work includes: 

• Preparing the building for the initial stages of remediation. 
• Removing and disposing of fire-damaged building materials, including walls, flooring, and other affected structural components. 
• Removing building contents, including furniture and equipment that can be cleaned, restored, and returned to service. 
• Cleaning and decontaminating affected surfaces, including sandblasting ceiling areas to remove soot, smoke residue, and charred material. 

As this work progresses, the City is also preparing the Market for winter operations to ensure vendors can continue serving customers and residents can continue shopping local throughout the colder months. 

Fall Fair celebrates local vendors and community 

This recovery milestone comes as the Kitchener Market prepares to welcome residents to its annual Fall Fair on Saturday, October 10. The Fall Fair provides residents with another opportunity to support local farmers, food producers and entrepreneurs while enjoying seasonal activities with family and friends.  

The event will feature seasonal activities, local shopping opportunities and family-friendly experiences that celebrate the harvest season and the vendors who continue to make the Market a vibrant community gathering place. 

Support Local. Support Your Market. Build Kitchener. 

For more than 155 years, the Kitchener Market has been a place where people gather, connect and support local businesses. Every dollar spent at the Market helps support local farmers, makers, entrepreneurs and families while contributing to a stronger and more resilient local economy. 

The City will continue providing regular updates as restoration work progresses and looks forward to welcoming vendors and customers back inside the Market building in Spring 2027.  

To stay up to date on the Kitchener Market, subscribe to the Market newsletter. 

Quick Facts 

• The Kitchener Market has remained open every Saturday since the July 12 fire.
• There are approximately 46 vendors, including lower-level market vendors and outdoor produce vendors participating in the Saturday Market each week.  
• As of September 5, 2026, the City has implemented a 50% reduction in vendor fees during the recovery period to support vendors participating in the Saturday Markets 
• The City expects to invest over $240,000 in vendor supports and temporary infrastructure, such as electrical and plumbing to help businesses continue operating during the recovery period. 
• City staff have been working one on one with vendors to find opportunities for their continued participation in the Saturday Market. 
• The City has completed extensive environmental, public health, technical and insurance assessments and conducted an open procurement process to support the next phase of building recovery and restoration. 

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For more information: 

Corporate Communications and Marketing 

City of Kitchener 

Media@kitchener.ca