February 2024: Learn more about Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)
Business and commercial property owners are invited to a drop-in meeting to learn more about BIAs.
The meeting will take place:
- Thursday, February 22, 2024, 5pm to 8pm: Roots Café, 6502 Main St (at E 49th Ave)
February 2024: The retail planning report from Tate Economic Research External website, opens in new tab is now complete.
The study includes:
- An updated profile of shops and services and the overall retail environment
- An assessment of business-focused organizations that could support Punjabi Market
- A recommended approach that area businesses could use to enhance the Market and expand their customer base.
Review the reports:
February 13 and 14, 2024: The team from Tate was at the market to share a summary of the report with local businesses.
The team stopped by each business for a one-on-one discussion.
March 2023: To support the retail planning objectives outlined in the February 2022 memo to Council PDF file (5.3 MB), we have retained the services of Tate Economic Research External website, opens in new tab.
Over the next few months, the consultant team will meet with business and commercial property owners in Punjabi Market and identify ways to strengthen the local retail environment as part of the regeneration of the market.
This work will build on community engagement in 2019 to 2020 when engagement with business and property owners in Punjabi Market identified the need for better business-to-business connections, collaboration, and retail planning.
July 2022: City staff continue to work with the Punjabi Market community to support the renewal of this important cultural and economic hub.
In July, staff provided a memo to Council PDF file (5.3 MB) outlining key next steps, including:
- Work on a lighting strategy
- Support for commercial area capacity building
- The exploration of further planning work in Punjabi Market and the surrounding area
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50th anniversary celebrations
May 31, 2020, marked the 50th anniversary of the oldest Punjabi market in North America.
An online celebration was spearheaded by the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective (PMRC), with our support. The event showcased the rich history of this important social, cultural, and economic hub, as well as the many aspirations for the future of the market. Review details of the celebration: Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective: PM50 Report External website, opens in new tab
To mark the anniversary, City Hall was illuminated in orange. We also created a special 50th Anniversary webpage, which provided an overview of the history of the market and community efforts to revitalize this important place.
In 2019, Council directed staff to explore ideas related to the 50th anniversary, including public realm improvements and opportunities to envision the future of the market. Read the council motion PDF file (23 KB)
January 2020
City staff met with the community to share draft recommendations to Council and gather feedback on the proposed actions and next steps.
View the engagement materials
Feedback from the fall 2019 and January 2020 events will be included in an update to City Council, which will take place early in 2020.
