Just By Nature Bath & Body Care display at Farmers Market on the Civic Centre mezzanine level overlooking the hockey rink. Photo: Facebook
The following report contains updated information from Matt Pryde, director, active living and culture e-mailed to Warktimes on December 2, 2025.
Tantramar Town Council held a lively 18-minute discussion on Monday about whether the Sackville Farmers Market belongs in the Tantramar Civic Centre during the winter.
“Do I think it’s the right place for it? I really don’t,” said Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell.
“I don’t think the market should interfere with our scheduling the hockey.”
Wiggins-Colwell was referring to the town’s request that the Tantramar Regional High School and the Sackville Minor Hockey Club avoid scheduling their home teams to play in the Civic Centre arena between 9 a.m. and noon on Tournament Saturdays when the Farmers Market is underway.
In his update to Warktimes on December 2nd, Matt Pryde, director, active living and culture says the town’s recommendation is not a blanket one, just during tournaments.
“It should be noted that for all Sackville Minor Hockey Tournaments, the Sackville Skating Club is on the ice from 9:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. anyway, so Minor Hockey would simply need to schedule the Sackville Team to play at 12:45 p.m. rather than 11:30 a.m. In the case of the Tantramar Titans, the Titan Boys have traditionally played at 1:00 p.m. anyway, as they did this year, and parking was a non-issue,” Pryde’s update continues.
In a two-page report to council, Pryde suggested that not scheduling hockey then would alleviate congestion in Civic Centre parking lots, although he also pointed out that on November 15th when people complained about lack of parking, there were spots available in both the paved and gravel lots and the overflow parking areas at the back weren’t used at all.
Tantramar recreation manager Jamie Ferguson
Pryde was not at Monday’s council meeting, but his report was presented by recreation manager Jamie Ferguson who explained that the Farmers Market had been considering using the activity centre at Bill Johnstone Park in the winter, but there were two problems.
“It’s much smaller to fit all the vendors inside and the second one is that in a winter storm, we couldn’t guarantee that it would be plowed and open for the market on Saturdays,” he said.
When Councillor Wiggins-Colwell expressed concerns about outside market vendors blocking fire lanes, Sackville Fire Chief Craig Bowser said his department does not use those areas as fire lanes at all.
Councillor Barry Hicks sided with Wiggins-Colwell.
“I don’t agree with changing the hockey schedules,” he said. “It is an arena, it’s not a farmers market.”
“I think it’s important for council and staff and the public to understand that the building is called the Tantramar Memorial Civic Centre,” said Mayor Andrew Black.
“It’s not an arena. It’s not a rink,” he added. “It’s a Civic Centre, meaning that it is open to the public and we get user groups from all over the place renting that for many, many different things,” he said.
“It just so happens that it has an ice surface that we play an awful lot of hockey on, which is wonderful, but we rent it out for birthday parties. We rent it out for all kinds of events upstairs.”
Councillor Barry Hicks
When Councillor Hicks suggested scheduling the bylaw officer on Saturday mornings to enforce parking restrictions in handicapped or accessible spots at the Civic Centre, Treasurer Michael Beal said that could be done because the officer is already on duty enforcing the overnight winter parking ban in Sackville that begins on December 1st.
Matt Pryde’s report to council concludes that the Titans hockey tournament co-existing with the Farmers Market was “a big success” on November 15th.
“Looking at security footage, we counted 104 tournament attendees crossing over to visit the Market as well, further strengthening the experience of the tournament attendee and revenue for the market vendors.”
Vanessa Blackier, who manages the Farmers Market, says she has noticed new people coming to the market in its new, winter location.
“There’s a lot of cross-pollination that’s been happening between Civic Centre users and also Farmers Market patrons,” she adds.
“I think there are a lot of positive things that are starting and we’re just at the beginning.”
Blackier says the Farmers Market pays $100 each Saturday to rent the Civic Centre space which is warm and well lit.
“One thing that’s really nice is there’s also room for customers to just visit with each other.
“A huge part of farmers’ markets is the social aspect and sometimes that doesn’t get touched on as much, but it’s really a place where community can come together,” she says.
” I really feel like it’s a very positive space.”
To read the full text of Pryde’s e-mail update, click here.
Sackville Farmers Market in the Civic Centre. Photo: Lara MacMillan, CHMA
I really like the location and the multi use of the building. The two can get along. I support the location and we should actually consider an expanded building as well.
A civic centre for the people to gather… sure does seems like a great way to make good use of this space! I’m so glad the market has found a home.. they’ve bounced around a lot!
Bill’s right.. why not expand that building out instead of a whole new building–brilliant. Of course, while I’m commenting, the front portion of that property is a superb spot for a new Tantramar Skate Park Project (-: Couldn’t let the year go by without putting in another nudge… could I?
Thanks Bruce.
I’ll throw in my two cents here, and some of it is based on running the market for a while back in 2018.
The question, in my opinion, is not “should the market be in the Civic Centre?” Rather it should be “why is the market in the Civic Centre?” So to put things in perspective, the market has been in existence for over 40 years, gone though MANY locations, and many Boards of Directors. I had the opportunity to read thousands of emails in the SFM account, and experience first-hand the inner workings of the BoD, as well as get to know some of the vendors.
There is lots of blame, if you will, to pass around. Over the past 40 years, there has been no solid proposal for a permanent market. There has been more than one, many more, Board members who sit for little more reason than their own self interest and preservation. I have heard several first-hand accounts from vendors of bullying by board members. I have seen the communication between the market and Town Hall, some of it not very nice, rather threatening at times.
The board itself has established ridiculous by-laws and policies that do little more than stunt any vision or growth. My best example: as Manager, one of my mandates was to find a permanent year-round location. I went to work, did the research, talked to some principals, made some phone calls. I presented a plan to the board of the day, who, with little exception, loved the proposal. BUT….when I asked to move forward, I was told it had to be approved by the Location Committee. Problem was that no one knew who was on that committee. Later, the members of the committee were found, and an email was sent out asking them to convene. ONE person replied. A second email was sent out…NO ONE replied.
I asked the Board to dissolve that committee and strike a new one to help move it forward. They refused…so here they were, with a proposal they liked, but policies that THEY had created, prevented them from doing it. After my resignation, I was asked twice to create a proposal and take it to Council as a private citizen. Every Councillor was consulted privately, I spoke to the Mayor and CAO of the day. With the exception of one person, I was told it was a super proposal…BUT THEN..there was no backbone or vision from Council to push forward. The naysayers and self-interest population spoke up, and in what seems to be an ongoing circumstance in town, the “clique” won out…no market for you!
So, it appears that that many Councillors will support a proposal, but only if their friends approve….a little lack of vision there. The SFM BoD does not want to hear from an “outsider”, even one who has done the research. The Vendors are often afraid to push back….everyone wants a market (especially at election time) but no one really…really wants to put the effort into it. Look around at other communities, other University communities who have farmers markets…we are so far behind because of egos and self interests.
SO the Civic Centre is just as good as any other location the SFM has had, because they, the “clique”, and Councillors and Mayors alike, lack vision, and can’t get out of their own way.
Farmers market is using the space from November - May.Hockey typically ends in April.
So let’s do some stats from November 15th/2025 to the end of April 2026. (24 weekends during that time)
Hockey / ice surface -
Ice rental = 170$/HR
8am-12pm = 4hrs
170$ x 4hrs = 680$
680$ x 24 weekends =16,320$
Farmers Market -
Currently charged the HALF day rate.
Mezzanine/lounge rental = 100$/Half day.
100$ x 24 weekends = 2400$
That’s a difference of
16,320$-2,400$= 13,920$
That’s a lot of lost revenue to not have hockey in the mornings. Not to mention, do people realize how much hockey is played here? How many tournaments happen in this town? We are already FIGHTING for ice times, trying to keep things as local as possible and things like this affect it!! If they want to stop hockey on Saturdays, then fine, build a second rink first.
Kids look forward to hockey on the weekends! Parents also pay fees for their children to play and now it’s even less chances to play?? you would be taking away income for referees as well. Shame on anyone who thinks taking hockey away on Saturday mornings is a good idea. What’s wrong with having it in the old train station? The high school? The tourist bureau even? People really need to think this through.
Are you going to stop youth engagement and activities and fundraising for their team? Which also brings people to the community who end up engaging with small businesses AND those involved in the farmers market (Titan your skates tournament had a lot of spectators buying stuff from the market that were from out of town)
The Civic Centre a community centre, not a for profit business. The cash it brings in isn’t the primary consideration.
Is there actually any reason people can’t use the ice for hockey and the mezzanine for a market at the same time? The only objection is lack of parking, isn’t it? And the town’s own report on parking concluded parking spaces didn’t run out when hockey and the market shared the civic centre. So what is the problem with sharing?
“Matt Pryde’s report to council concludes that the Titans hockey tournament co-existing with the Farmers Market was “a big success” on November 15th.”
Why is this even an issue if sharing the centre wasn’t a problem?