On 15 December, UFGCA, the largest flower auction in Canada, closed its auction room. This move by no means marks the end of the Vancouver auction's Dutch auction system. "The clocks are indispensable for our sales. People may auction one day ahead or engage in futures trade, but there will always be a need for a daily market where plants and flowers can be traded at the last minute."
The United Flower Growers Cooperative Association (UFGCA) has been familiar with remote buying since 2008, says Chairman of the Board and flower grower Andries Quik. Most of its 520 seats were already empty when the government imposed Covid restrictions on the auction, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year.
Many buyers were already buying from home and would pick up their purchases later in the day. When the province of British Columbia lifted the restrictions, only 12 of over 500 customers returned to their seats. On 15 December, the auction hall was used for the last time. Its doors are closed and the auction hall will be demolished since the space is more than welcome for other purposes.