Town of Truro removing hose tower from farmers' market building

TRURO – A longstanding landmark will soon no longer be part of the Civic Square in downtown Truro.

The town is removing the hose tower from the Truro Farmers’ Market building, located at 15 Young St. The tower will be removed down to the roofline of the market hall.

The demolition order for the hose tower was based on a structural engineering assessment, the town said in an Oct. 21 social media post. It said the removal is taking place in the new year. The date has not yet been confirmed.

The Truro Farmers’ Market, a not-for-profit co-operative, has operated out of the building since 2012. The building is the former Truro Fire Hall, which was originally constructed in 1899.

Andrea Munro, business manager of the Truro Farmers’ Market, said the removal will likely impact its operations to some degree. She said the market hall is a beautiful building, and that she loves old architecture.

“I mean, I can’t speak for anyone but myself. I think it’s lovely to have those heritage aspects of the building,” said Munro.

However, her main priority is the market, its function, and the Truro Farmers’ Market’s ability to support its member vendors and the community.

The town’s spokesperson, Makayla Carroll, declined an interview request from The Truro News.

“At this time, the information shared publicly reflects the latest available update on the project, and there is nothing further to add through an interview,” Carroll said in an email. 

In another email, Carroll said concerns were raised about the structural integrity of the hose tower when a brick assessment was conducted on the market building in September.

This assessment was done as part of a retrofit study for the market hall building. The town is doing this study in partnership with the ReCover Initiative, a Dartmouth-based non-profit organization.

After the assessment, the town commissioned a structural engineering review which determined the tower required demolition, said Carroll.

“Based on those findings, town building officials declared the structure unsafe under the Building Code Act and issued a demolition order,” Carroll said in the email.

The structural assessment report, completed by Rural Roots Engineering and Design in Debert, was supplied to the Truro News.

The report included a photo identifying cracks in the tower. It also noted a small amount of brick debris that had fallen from the hose tower onto the roof of the building.

The structural assessment recommended the town remove the tower to roof level or below by July 2027.

The town said it is working with the board and staff of the Truro Farmers’ Market to plan the removal work.

Munro and the Truro Farmers’ Market board president, Amanda Oberswain, recently met with the town to discuss the path moving forward.

“The main question on the table … from them was, ‘How can we minimize the impact to the market and help the market continue functioning fully as much as possible?'” said Munro.

“They’re really hoping to find someone who can undertake the work at a time when it would be least impactful to us.”

The market operates every Saturday. It closes twice a year over the winter holidays. The building is also available to rent on non-market days.

In its Oct. 21 social media post, the town said it would keep vendors and visitors informed moving forward.