Exchanging Culture?: Opportunities for Intercultural Interaction at the Halifax International Market

Abstract

In this paper, I explore the ‘International Market’, a unique initiative designed by the management of the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market, and Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The public space of the market provides the opportunity to study the interactions between cosmopolitan consumers and immigrant vendors, while examining the larger question of immigrant integration into the community of a mid-sized Canadian city as well. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the market management, the business development team at ISIS, and with vendors and consumers participating in the International Market to ascertain the social and/or economic benefits to each participant. The research reveals the opportunities for, and limits to intercultural exchange between newcomers and long-term citizens in a public market space.