In 1803, Governor Peter Hunter issued a proclamation that all the land north of Front, west of Jarvis, south of King and east of Church street was to be designated officially as the "Market Block".

Shortly after Governor Hunter's proclamation, the FIRST permanent Market was erected on the north end of the Market Block, which became known as St. Lawrence Farmers' Market. In those days the stores along King street and around the Market Block were forced to close from 6 am to 4 pm on Market Days and would open only after the Market closed at 4 pm. This may have been the FIRST late night shopping hours in Canada. Today, the Market is home to over 100 farmers and specialty vendors selling all kinds of food products such as meats, vegetables, fruits, fish and cheese as well as variety of deli and gourmet foods.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of that proclamation and St. Lawrence Market has been celebrating throughout the year and will have special events throughout 2004.

Today, the St. Lawrence Market Complex consists of three buildings: The South Market, which also contains The Market Gallery, The North Market, and St. Lawrence Hall. The complex houses permanent market facilities, occasional use activities, city offices and retail businesses as described below.

The main and lower levels of the South Market contain over 50 specialty vendors who are well-known for their wide selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products, as well as for their unique non-food items for sale. The second floor of the South Market is home to the Market Gallery, the official exhibition centre for the City of Toronto Archives.

The North Market is renowned for its Saturday Farmers' Market, a tradition that has continued in this area since 1803. Farmers throughout Southern Ontario bring their seasonal produce to the market, as savvy shoppers wake up early to find a wide selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products and delectable baked goods. On Sundays, over 80 antique dealers occupy the North Market and the surrounding plaza, displaying their wares from dawn to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The North Market has 10,000 square feet of modern showroom space available to rent every other day for promotional functions, flea markets, displays, large social gatherings, meetings and exhibitions. Rental information is available here.

Built in 1850, St. Lawrence Hall now houses modern retailers on the ground floor and municipal offices on the second floor. The third floor, restored in 1967 as the City of Toronto's Centennial project, contains the Great Hall. The Great Hall and additional rooms are available for rent.