They're cleaning up the streets - literally.
Rain or shine, volunteer members of the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective have started dedicating their time to pick up litter surrounding Main Street in Vancouver's historic Punjabi Market.
The area holds great importance for PMRC creative director Jag Nagra. "This place was home for our parents who came to Canada. A lot of them left their families and this was a place that they could connect to their culture and it means so much to us," explains Nagra.
As local businesses continue to struggle in the area, the group sees litter removal as an essential part of preserving the site's legacy and dignity. They hope to work with city officials to try and prevent future trash accumulation.
Last weekend the team spent several hours combing the streets, resulting in 15 full bags of garbage.
According to Nagra, councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung is planning a walk-through of the neighbourhood to assess the current trash situation.
At its peak, the Punjabi Market was home to over 300 shops and was the first and largest South Asian Market in North America. The cultural hub celebrated 50 years in 2020.
