[Photograph of the Punjabi Market street signs in Vancouver]

Photograph of the Punjabi Market street signs in Vancouver, British Columbia (B.C.).

The Punjabi Market is a 3-block commercial district located on Main St between East 48th and East 51st avenues in Vancouver, B.C. Situated in the Sunset neighbourhood—an area home to one of Canada's largest South Asian communities—the market has been a destination for South Asian culture and commerce since the 1970s. It has historically included several Indian restaurants, sweet shops, jewellery stores, clothing stores, grocers, as well as other businesses catering to the South Asian community, local neighbourhood, and tourists. Vancouver's Punjabi Market was the first and largest Punjabi market in North America. From humble beginnings, Main Street transformed into a cultural hub and was home of the first Punjabi-language street signs outside of Asia. At its peak, Punjabi Market was home to over 300 shops including 24 jewellery shops.