Save Sunrise Market: Vancouver Community Rallies

0:00It's March 24. You're listening to Canada News Today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. Residents in Vancouver's downtown Eastside and Chinatown are rallying to save Sunrise Market, a beloved grocer on the 300 block of Powell, street that's been around since the early 1960s. The store, started by the Joe family, offers affordable groceries and fresh produce in an area where options are limited. Now, family members want to retire and are selling just the business, not the property. This past weekend, about 100 people gathered at a town hall to brainstorm ways to keep it running as is. The event was put together by the R-Homes Canway Coalition, with help from local groups like the Powell Street Festival and Carnegie Housing Project. Attendees included seniors speaking Mandarin and Cantonese, university students, tenants and folks from neighborhoods like Mount Pleasant East, Vancouver, and the West End. They shared worries that a new owner might raise prices or change the focus, leading to

1:02longer lines at food banks. Ideas floated around member-owned co-ops, though past ones in Vancouver have struggled and closed after decades. Meanwhile, the listing dropped from $4,500,000 to $3,800,000, including all. Equipment for a smooth handover. Local leaders like those at the downtown East Side Community Land Trust are eyeing the property to partner with a group that could run the store. Affordably, keeping this community staple alive for years to come.