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July 17, 2004
The
Farmers' Market
Draws Tourists
and Residents
For the
past two years, the City of St.
Albert has had a tent located in
the heart of the Farmers' Market.
It provides a very
good opportunity for people to ask
questions, pick up information brochures,
and meet their City Council members.
I did a morning shift in the booth
last Saturday, and an afternoon shift
today. The weather was extremely
warm both days, and the attendance
at the market has been very good.
Years ago,
I remember someone commenting to
me that St. Albert was not and never
would be a tourist destination.
Have things ever changed! I continue
to be pleasantly
shocked by the number of tourists
who are finding their way to our
market. Many people from both overseas
and other parts of North America
are stopping by our booth to get
more information on St. Albert and
on the activities they can take
part in within our region. These
people have made a decision to visit
St. Albert in order to experience
our Farmers' Market.
Our job now is to
ensure that they will spend time
and money at other places in our
community before they leave. The
positive economic spin-off from
the Market is considerable as it
draws people from throughout the
region and around
the world.
As we continue
our work in developing a Tourism
Strategy, we will see far greater
success than every imagined! Currently
we have a strong team working towards
increasing the tourism opportunities
for St. Albert. Our
team includes representatives from
the St. Albert Economic Development
Advisory Committee, the Downtown
Business Association, the Arts & Heritage
Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce,
and the City of St. Albert. Fortunately,
the Province of Alberta
granted us funds to make this work
possible. Good work is being done,
and good results are coming!
It is,
of course, essential that our Farmers' Market
- run so well by our Chamber
of Commerce - be
protected and nurtured. With more
competition coming from markets
in the City of Edmonton and surrounding
areas, our support for our market
must not waiver. It has become part
of the quality of life in our City,
and is loved and bragged about by
our people. Many from St. Albert
come down each week, not only to
buy their fresh produce and other
goodies, but also
to meet their friends,
grab lunch, and enjoy the beauty
of our downtown.
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