A longstanding business-owner in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is speaking out in support of a trendy restaurant that’s been targeted by activists since opening.
Sally Joe, whose family owns Sunrise Market on Powell Street, said she doesn’t know why protesters are fixated on Pidgin.
Downtown Eastside activists have picketed the hip Hastings Street restaurant regularly since it opened its doors last month, calling it a symbol of the gentrification of their neighbourhood.
“I didn’t see a reason why, because it’s not really hurting anyone, it was an empty store,” Joe said.
“If a big box came in and drove all the little businesses away and they can’t survive, I mean, I feel more for that.”
Joe, whose family has owned Sunrise Market for more than 50 years, said she’s seen stores leave the neighbourhood, but relatively affordable rent may be the reason businesses are coming back.
Instead of trying to prevent that from happening, Joe said businesses should be welcome with open arms because they bring jobs with them.
“Keep the business going, people can pay taxes and use the tax dollars appropriately, and try to solve the problem that way,” she said.
“If you start getting into fights with each other at the street level, it doesn’t help anyone.”
“The province and the city should provide the land, and the province and the feds should fund the housing,” said Jean Swanson of the Social Housing Coalition.
But Swanson did not want to talk about Pidgin
“This demonstration is about wanting housing – needing housing desperately,” she said.
Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang said hundreds of new units are on the way, with the majority under construction now.
“We have been gradually, very carefully, mixing up rich and poor, if you like, in the same neighbourhood, making sure that we do not displace a single poor person,” he said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Maria Weisgarber
