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Vendors welcome first walk-in customers at former train station (7 photos)

Front Street property will also be home to new MGB Eatery as of Wednesday and facility will host outdoor flea market on weekends, starting June 19

It’s full steam ahead at Orillia’s former train station now that vendors have moved in and the doors are open to the public.

A numbered company purchased the heritage building and property at 150 Front St. S. in 2019. A partner with the company told OrilliaMatters the plan was to convert it into a sort of “exhibition centre” to showcase artifacts and information about the property and the history of trains in Orillia.

That part of the project will happen eventually. For now, a handful of vendors are offering everything from furniture and clothing to household items, artwork and collectibles.

“We have had a lot of people today. Everybody has made money today,” Gregory Harris, the property manager who is renting space to vendors, said Friday.

Judging from the first day, “it’s going to be really good,” he said.

Some of the doors and walls that were in the building when it was home to Service Ontario and the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce have been removed, making it more of an open concept.

“We cleaned it up quite a bit,” Harris said.

Tim Woodward was pleased with his first day as a vendor, selling used furniture and “man cave stuff” like signs and other items.

“It was nice to see people out and about with smiles on their faces,” he said.

He is excited to see even more people when the outdoor flea market starts June 19.

“The market on the weekend is really going to be popular. It’s not a farmers’ market. It's a flea market and it’s in town, so it’s very accessible,” he said.

Woodward expects the history of the building will be a draw for visitors. It’s nostalgic for many who remember the days when trains still rolled through town.

“It’s great that we get to keep this as a historical site,” he said.

The outdoor market will be open every Saturday and Sunday, starting June 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The HxmeSweetHxme crew will also be on site with the Camaro to take part and raise money for the Orillia Youth Centre.

There will soon be more options for food, too. Harris’s MGB Eatery will be opening Wednesday, serving up a variety of options including burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, wraps and poutine. It will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The hours of operation for the indoor vendors are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday.


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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