After $5.7M in repairs, here's why you'll still see water ponding at Covent Garden Market

It was a $5.7-million repair to fix a water problem outside the Covent Garden Market.

So why does it appear that since the work wrapped up earlier this year, more water is sometmes seen pooling on the Rotary Square concrete pad?

It's a question that's been put to Covent Garden Market CEO Amy Shackleton and facility manager Jeff Heussner lately. Last week's wet snow, followed by mild temperatures, left a few centimetres of water ponding on the concrete courtyard outside the Talbot Street entrance.

Heussner said the occasional presence of water doesn't mean the work wasn't done properly, but is instead a direct result of making sure the space continues to operate as a skating rink.

"The concrete pad was poured to specification so that the water needed to form the ice would properly pool," he said. "The pad is smooth and has been sealed so it is holding the water as required to build ice."

The work was needed because, over the years, the combination of salt and water began to corrode and seep through the concrete pad and leak into the parking garage below.

The job of digging up, repairing, and rebuilding what is essentially a large concrete box was a major part of the project, which began in 2024 and required a special request to the city's capital budget.

Heussner said keeping the outdoor skating rink — a favourite of market visitors — meant the pad was poured so that it would hold water long enough for ice to form. That means that after a significant rain storm or snow melt, when the skating surface isn't in place, there will at times be some water standing on the concrete.

Heussner said the Market has ways of dealing with any excess water as part of the daily maintenance routine.

Crews armed with squeegees more than a metre wide are called it to push the water away when it starts to pool. Much of it is pushed toward a new trench drain that was added as part of the upgrades.

Another change is that when maintenance crews need to clear ice, they'll no longer use salt, which was a significant factor in causing the original water penetration problem.

The final touches to the repairs are underway this week, with crews installing new railings and fencing.

Shackleton said with the work now done, the market is ready for its annual Holly Jolly Market, which brings vendors to the outdoor space on Fridays and weekends starting Friday, Dec. 5, as part of the city's Lighting of the Lights event.

"Our big tree has arrived, all the huts and domes are out there for the artisans," she said. "Soon you're going to see a big stage arrive for all the entertainment coming."