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A Fredericton city council candidate and a former mayor are denouncing York County Properties for trying to divest itself of the Boyce Farmers Market.

IN THE BEGINNING: elbridge Wilkins holds up a newspaper clipping from May 17, 1966, showing himself in the photo at right. he was the york County representative for douglas in 1966 when the provincial government was introducing its equal Opportunity program. he said council members managed to protect the Boyce Farmers Market.

Jo-Ann Fellows, who is running in Ward 9, is annoyed York County Properties is asking the city to pay $1.5 million to take over ownership of the market and its land.

Mayor Brad Woodside and the city's incumbent councillors said they're not interested in buying the site.

"I believe that the proposed sale of the market is both unethical and possibly illegal," Fellows said Wednesday. "It's just a grab for money.

"How can York Properties sell the market to the taxpayer when the taxpayer paid the expenses to bring the market into existence? After Mr. Boyce's original bequest of $40,000, the province gave the land and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency provided the grant that paid for an expansion and upgrade.''

If York County Properties wants to abandon its stewardship of the market, there are ways to ensure it survives through a new board of directors charged with its preservation, she said.

"What chutzpah these people have to try to sell something to the taxpayer that the taxpayer already owns," she said.

Former mayor Elbridge Wilkins, 81, knows all about the market's history.

He was the York County council member from Douglas in 1966. That's when the county council figured out a way to protect the council's assets for the people of York after the Louis Robichaud Liberal government disbanded county council governments.

"I was on the properties committee when we took the land and the municipally owned market and some financing that was there," Wilkins said.

"The money was donated by Mr. Boyce to build a market, so we saved the market to be looked after and made operational and run under that corporation.''

Wilkins said the market should be kept intact.

"There's no such thing as selling it. Some board will run it. If York Manor doesn't want to run it anymore, let some non-profit board run it."

There's no reason for it to be sold and the money absorbed into York Manor's finances, said the former mayor, adding there are people willing to serve on such a board.

"There's no reason in the world why it should be sold as such and the money dissolved into York Manor. It should be kept and operated as it was supposed to be in the first place."

Wilkins remembers William Walter Boyce, the farmer and lumberman whose estate bequeathed the $40,000 used to establish the market at Regent and George streets.

"I knew Mr. Boyce well and did business with him and so did my father on the farm and I know how he felt about it," Wilkins said.

When the Louis Robichaud government brought in its Equal Opportunity program, the province took over health, justice, education and welfare.

"Rather than let this money ($40,000) go into provincial coffers, we petitioned Premier Louis Robichaud and Municipal Affairs minister Norbert Theriault to save the market intact ... and the York Manor development, which we had in mind," Wilkins said.

The county council owned the land for the northside nursing home. Wilkins said he was on the Nashwaaksis council when the first 60 beds were built.

As far as asking $1.5 million for the market building and land, Wilkins said money shouldn't be exchanged.

"The money that is there in that market belonged to the people. It belonged to the people of York County. There's no way it should be sold," Wilkins said.

University student Jordan Graham, who is campaigning for a council seat in Ward 11 (UNB/East End), said just because the city doesn't feel it has money to purchase the property, doesn't mean it can't play a role in its future.

"They should come alongside York Properties and facilitate. The city has a vested interest in whose hands the market is in," Graham said.

"It's a local icon and it's important to the tourist industry."

The market generates its own revenue from the lease of its parking area to the provincial government.

Civil servants fill its grounds during the work week and market vendors take the space back Saturdays and for special events when the market is leased to other users.

Part of the proposal made to the city when York County Properties crafted its sale offer suggested fees for stall holders be doubled.

Stall holders pay $15 to $17 per week per stall.

At least one city source was miffed at the asking price.

The source said the company is asking $500,000 more than the appraised value of the land and buildings.