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The report was welcomed by longtime activist and community organizer Sarah Blythe, who recently announced her intention to run as an independent candidate for Vancouver city council.

“When people are doing things like this to survive, it’s good to do it in an organized fashion,” she said.

In 2015, the city created two sanctioned vending spaces, one on Powell Street and the other at 62 East Hastings, to provide vendors with a “safe and legal space (to) generate an income to make ends meet,” while also minimizing the “disorder” caused by street vending, said the RFP.

The markets have worked well, with about 100 vendors hawking their wares each day at the East Hastings site, but the space is almost full, said Blythe. “If people are selling throughout the city, it makes sense to study it and see how we can help them do it legitimately.”

The markets offer people a way to supplement their small social assistance cheques by selling whatever they can find. Some scour the alleys and garbage bins for weird and wonderful treasures. Others offer haircuts or fix broken things for a small fee. Stolen goods are not permitted.

“We’re onboard with anything that helps people and provides small business opportunities,” said Blythe, adding small street markets are common throughout the world, from Venice Beach, California to South America and China. “People love markets and garage sales.”

The markets also provide vendors and customers with a sense of community.

“I think it’s really important to be supportive when people are being proactive — especially in a place that’s as expensive as Vancouver,” she said. “The market gives people hope.”

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