The lack of community markets on this side of the Petitcodiac is a situation that needs to change

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Go to Moncton, Dieppe, or Sackville - or even Sussex or Fredericton - on a Saturday morning, and you will find the community buzzing around one major focal point - the farmer's market.

Like moths to a flame, locals and tourists alike are drawn to community markets for fresh vegetables, one-of-a-kind handicrafts, and an authentic look at local culture.

Yet, in Riverview and Albert County, there is a distinct lack of these pillars of the community.

There's no lack of potential vendors - just visit the Albert County Tourism website (www.albertcountytourism.com) and you can find an extensive list of local artisans and gift shops.

It's not a lack of community pride that is keeping markets from popping up, either - Riverview is possibly the closest-knit community in the province.

Farmer's markets offer something important to the communities they serve. They are a place for the environmentally-conscious to buy local food.

They allow artists and young entrepreneurs a venue to sell their wares. Most importantly, they serve as a gathering place for people to re-affirm what it means to belong to the community.

A market on this side of the Chocolate River is long overdue. Five years ago, when the Moncton markets were in the midst of conflicts, the Town of Riverview put forward a proposal to build a new market space, only to stumble on the environmental evaluation.

The proposed site was actually quite close to the site of the Fundy Gateway project, yet there have been no plans announced to incorporate any kind of community market at this potential hub of tourist activity, slated to open in 2009.

In some communities, the municipal government or local business association has taken the initiative to create a market in their community.

In others, individual business owners or members of the community have found ways to make it happen.

From Alma to Upper Coverdale, our communities do not lack the necessary manpower, merely the necessary impetus, to get things moving on this kind of project.

It is time for our communities to work together and find a place and a way to build our own local market.

It is the next natural step in defining our identity as a community.