A new candidate to run the popular Sidney Summer Market has been selected.
Laurie McDermid of Westcoast Impressions Event Planning was selected earlier this week as the successful proponent of the Town of Sidney’s request for proposals process that was conducted late this summer.
The Town of Sidney officially terminated the agreement with past market operator, the Sidney Business Association, in early July and opened the RFP process Aug. 1. Submissions for interested parties closed Sept. 14 and McDermid was selected as the successful candidate Oct. 29.
“This was not an easy decision as each of the proposals we received had merit,” said Sidney Mayor Larry Cross. “The proposals were rated based on several key factors as identified in the RFP and Ms. McDermid’s scored the highest overall.”
McDermid, who worked with the Sidney Business Association co-ordinating the market in past years, has a long background of co-ordinating such events and projects.
McDermid has worked with organizations like Vancouver Island Tourism and Pacific Rim Tourism.
“I’m so delighted with this news and I’m looking forward to working with everyone on this fabulous event in Sidney,” McDermid said. “It is such an important part of Sidney’s culture and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
McDermid’s contract with the Town of Sidney offically begins Jan. 1, 2013 and the market season will begin in June.
Sidney Business Association president Ross McFarlane said he wasn’t surprised by the Town’s decision to select someone other than the SBA to run the market.
“I can’t speak for the whole board of the SBA, but I wasn’t surprised that (we) weren’t selected,” he said. “Although I was a little surprised the town selected a for-profit association. We are a not-for-profit so the money we made from the market went back to promoting Sidney.”
McFarlane added that he was happy to see the town moving forward with the market and that the SBA will have time to pursue additional events and activities on the Saanich Peninsula including things like their new Sidney Discount Card program.