Save The Little Market Box - Riversdale Food & Community Hub

For years, The Little Market Box has been a vital part of our community, offering locally crafted food and artisan products, which supports both Saskatchewan producers and neighbours alike.

Unfortunately, they are now facing a significant financial challenge. Due to an administrative oversight with an address update and a missing building permit, they have been fined $18,508 by the City of Saskatoon (initially $29,500). Despite taking immediate steps and resolving the issue, this penalty remains. The default date of this fine is November 15, 2024. If the fine defaults, Julianna, The Little Market Box owner, faces a staggering 110 days of jail time. This judgement was made on October 10, 2024, leaving 5 weeks the date of default.

The magnitude of this punishment and the accompanying jail time feels excessively punitive for what was a first-time offence and for a corrected oversight. I have personally witnessed the owner, Julianna’s, due diligence on this matter. All correspondence until June 2024 from the City of Saskatoon was being sent to an outdated address (not the address of The Little Market Box or her personal address). Once correspondence was received in June 2024, Juliana took immediate action. Unfortunately, when brought to the City of Saskatoon's attention, they replied that this administrative detail did not matter because they are actually 'under no obligation to inform business owners of an infraction'.

Small businesses like The Little Market Box are the lifeblood of Riversdale, a neighbourhood that has weathered many economic challenges. They not only provide us with fresh, local goods but also help keep our community vibrant and connected.

The Little Market Box has always been committed to serving the community and supporting local businesses, and right now, they find themselves in a tough situation where they need some assistance to continue fulfilling that mission. This isn’t about assigning blame, but rather about working toward a solution that ensures a beloved community business can keep contributing to the vitality of the area. While fairness and compliance are important, The Little Market Box took immediate action as soon as they received the first communication about this issue and have been working with the city to resolve it. Unfortunately, the substantial fine still remains, and that’s where they need support.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will go directly towards covering the fine and ensuring The Little Market Box can continue serving our community for years to come.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and for supporting a local business that truly embodies the spirit of Riversdale and Saskatoon.

Let’s see what our community can do!

Addition on October 19, 2024:

There has been some information circling that has sown confusion about this situation. I am writing this addition hoping to correct some misinformation for those folks who are interested. Here is a bit more background info this situation and intention of this campaign.

1. Who is in the wrong? This GoFundMe is not set up with the attention to place blame, point fingers or make anyone, including making the City of Saskatoon the 'bad guy'. The City of Saskatoon has values of encouragement and support for small businesses, and that’s why this situation is so unfortunate. Unfortunately, this case slipped through the cracks and went to court before The Little Market Box was made aware that their change of address hadn’t been processed by the City. By the time they received notice to their correct address, it was a court summons. We’re hoping the City can step up to assist with a resolution that allows The Little Market Box to stay open, but the situation has been complicated by the tight timeline and the hefty fine. This is why the support of the community is vital at this time.

2. Communication from the City:

The City of Saskatoon sent important violation and infraction notifications to an outdated address, which was not connected to The Little Market Box's new location or Julianna's personal address. Ironically, this proper address was listed on the very change of address application that initiated the licensing issue. As a result, The Little Market Box was unaware of the infraction.

Typically, the City sends enforcement letters via email, but in this case, no notifications were received either by email or at the updated business address. This gap in communication left The Little Market Box uninformed about the infractions.

The first time Julianna became aware of the issue was when a registered letter was delivered to the correct business address on June 3, 2024. After receiving the notice, Julianna immediately took steps the next day to resolve the issue by obtaining the necessary building permit and complying with the licensing requirements. Despite her quick response, the substantial fine of $18,508 remains a heavy financial burden on the business.

When Julianna raised concerns about not receiving prior communication, the City of Saskatoon responded that they were “under no obligation to inform business owners of an infraction,” implying that the failure to notify The Little Market Box at the correct address was not relevant to enforcing the fine.

Additionally, the City had claimed in a news article that there had been an email exchange, implying that Julianna was aware of the situation. However, this is very misleading. The only communication was an email from the City Community Standards office that a permit was needed at the time of application but without information about what permit was required. Julianna replied seeking clarification since the business use of the building had not changed, meaning a permit should not have been required. The City responded that the Building Standards (permitting) would follow up, but no further communication was ever received from the City, leading to a breakdown in the process. This lapse is documented, and no action was taken by the City to close the loop.

3. The missing building permit: The permit in question was related to a washroom that had been constructed ten years before The Little Market Box moved into the space. Since the washroom was not accessible to customers and the business use of the building had not changed, a permit should not have been required under standard regulations.

When Julianna submitted the change of address application, the City of Saskatoon could not clarify which permit was needed, and when she followed up via email to explain that no structural changes had been made, the City’s Community Standards office (licensing) responded letting her know that the Building Standards office (permitting) would reach out with further details because at the time they didn’t know what permit was even needed. She replied and said she would await that response, but there was no further communication from the City via email at all. This is documented. This lack of follow-up contributed to the eventual fines levied against the business.

There has been confusion because of a news article published that said it was a kitchen permit - this is not true and has sown confusion. The permit in question was related to the washrooms, constructed 10 years earlier and not accessible to customers.

Again, this situation is not about framing anyone as 'the bad guy' or posting fingers. There was an administrative oversight, and the fine and potential jail time upon default of payment seems unnecessarily punitive, especially considering the issue was resolved immediately upon proper notice being given. The $18,508 fine remains a very real, serious and urgent issue for The Little Market Box.