Punjabi Market, Vancouver

Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister at the Ross Street Gurudwara, Vancouver

The first South Asian immigrants from Punjab landed in Vancouver in the 1890s.[2] The first Indian settlement is said to have come by the name of Paldi after a village near Hoshiarpur in Punjab. They settled down in Kitsilano near First Avenue and Burrard Street, where many worked in lumber mills and at construction sites throughout the Lower Mainland.

Indians who later immigrated to Vancouver are believed to have suffered the same treatment given to the Chinese (Chinatown) and Japanese (Japantown). They were subject to the bias and animosities of the predominantly Anglo-Saxon majority and occupied distinct and discrete quarters of the city. Most of the new residents sought established homes and to earn reasonably secure incomes. They settled in the area near 49th Avenue and Main Street and many established restaurants and businesses there and throughout the city to make a living. The settlers brought with them distinctive habits and attitudes that influenced the choice of food, work and recreational activity.

Over time, the neighbourhood had become predominantly Indo-Canadian and on May 31, 1970 Sucha Singh and Harbans Kaur Claire opened the first shop on Main St, which would be joined by dozens more, between 48th and 50th avenues. The Claire's owned and ran Shan Sharees and Drapery.[3]

In recognition of the cultural and business importance of the market, the first bilingual street-signs in Punjabi and English were installed in 1993 at the corner of 49th avenue and Main Street.[4]

Presently, the Punjabi Market is in a period of transformation. The suburbanization of the South Asian community in Vancouver caused many to relocate east towards Surrey and Delta due to high retail rents and housing prices in South Vancouver. This transition has occurred over the past two decades, with reports in 2013 citing growing retail vacancies.[5] The market has evolved from the traditional food, clothing and jewellery stores to a more diverse offering, which now includes a licensed cannabis shop.[6] Small businesses have been a hallmark of the market throughout the years, but are facing headwinds. Recent development of commercial space has brought chain stores such as a Tim Hortons into the heart of the market.[7]

In 2016, the City of Vancouver first engaged a study and a community planning process to review neighbourhood policies impacting arts, culture, retail and public spaces.[8] In October 2019 six community engagement events were held taking feedback about priorities for residents and business owners. The City of Vancouver staff produced a summary, which included public priorities and 8 recommended actions for Council to consider for the near term.[9] The recommended actions included: Historic Context Statement, Cultural Grants, Vancouver Plan Activities, Near Term Public Realm Improvements, 50th Anniversary Proclamation, Community Art in Public Realm-Call for Artists, Commercial Area Capacity Building Work and Business to Business Support, and Long Term Community Stewardship Partnership.

Vaisakhi Parade 2017, Punjabi Market, Vancouver

Over the years, the neighbourhood became increasingly popular among the nearly 300,000 South Asian residents in the city as a focal point for culture and commerce. There are a number of Indian restaurants, sweet shops, and grocers representing cuisine from varying parts of the subcontinent; as well as other businesses that cater to an Indo-Canadian community and tourists alike.

The market has become a shopping destination for many weddings because of the numerous Indian ethnic clothing and bridal goods that are available. There is also a significant number of jewelry stores lining the strip, said to be the highest concentration of jewellers in the nation.[10]

Beginning in 1979, the Khalsa Diwan society at the Ross Street Gurdwara has celebrated Vaisakhi each year in April with a public celebration. Festivities include a parade, where over 100,000 people come together from to celebrate the birth of the Sikh religion. Many restaurants and households near the strip offer local food tasting and other goods during the event..[11] The City of Vancouver has granted the Vaisakhi Parade Civic Parades Category in 2013, which is reserved for events with >100,000 attendees.[12]

• South Asians in Vancouver
• South Asians in British Columbia

• Punjabi Market Association