For the soul, and the sole–while being politically correct.

I arrived at the July 21 Farmer’s Market at 7:00 a.m. I was four hours later than Dennis Moffat and two of his children (who arrive around 3:00 a.m. to start putting out signs, garbage bins, etc.) and at least an hour later than many vendors.

I saw Patrick Moffat marshalling a line-up of vehicles stretching out along the north wing of Ecole Secondaire Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. When I attended there over 50 years ago, it was easier to say The Comp.

Apparently, those who don’t have permanent spots (I believe that’s 40% of the vendors) need to check in to be assigned a spot. When I asked Dennis Moffat if he had new vendors, he said that each week there are often 4 or 5 who’d never sold their wares here before. Always something new! In chatting with an ex-student, Dahlen Hall, who currently lives in Edmonton, he noted, “The Red Deer Market has the flavour I love; Edmonton’s markets seem like Big Business–people whose only job is the market.”

One of my weekly stops is the Cinnamon and Sugar booth–food for the soul.

Then I chatted with Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer of Comforts the Sole.

It was also nice to see two City councillors, Buck Buchanan and Vesna Higham at the Red Deer City Council booth. Politically correct took on a new meaning as I learned there are federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction that many Red Deerians believe are under City Council’s control.