Every Saturday morning, at exactly 9 a.m. market time, you will hear the sonorous tones of a bell ringing at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market (CVFM).
The market has officially opened for business, and vendors can begin to serve their waiting customers.
For the past 13 years, it has been the well-known figure of Glenn Miller, easily identified by his distinctive hat, ringing the bell. This past December, Miller retired as market manager, and the CVFM membership were all sorry to see him go as he has always served the market with great ability and care.
At a dinner held by the market membership in his honour, he generously donated the bell to the market, passing it to new market manager Vicki Brown.
Bell-ringing to signify the start of the day has been a constant at the market since its beginnings 19 years ago. Danny Thran first began the tradition and the bell he used was retired with him when he stepped down as president in 1999.
When Miller took over as market manager, he brought a very special bell with him. It was a gift from his father Art to Glenn and his wife Roseane, and Glenn thought it would be the perfect bell for launching each Saturday markets’ sales.
Art Miller, a former logger and an inventor, had taken an outdated portable metal spar that was used in the logging industry and with a lathe, machined a bell.
And what a bell! It rings both rich and clear and now, thanks to Glenn, it has a permanent home at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market, keeping its history and traditions alive.
For whom the bell tolls? It tolls for everyone at the market. Come hear and see this truly unique bell for yourself.
The market is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday until mid-April at the Native Sons Hall on Cliffe Avenue.
For more information, check www.comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com or call Vicki at 250-218-0321.
— Comox Valley Farmers’ Market