Should Vancouver use tax dollars to buy grocery stores?

A man shops at Sunrise Market in Vancouver on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Sunrise Market has been a staple in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for decades. Known for affordable prices, the store has long been considered a cost-friendly option for shoppers in the neighbourhood. But now it’s up for sale and its future is uncertain.

One mayoral candidate in the upcoming Vancouver election says the city should step in. Amanda Burrows, running with OneCity, is proposing that Vancouver use taxpayer dollars to purchase grocery stores like Sunrise Market. Her plan would see the city own the store while a non-profit group operates it.

“The plan would be that the city would purchase a place like Sunrise Market, but the community would run it. So it’s not going to be run by the government. It’s going to actually be run by a non-profit group,” said Burrows.

Burrows calls the proposed city-funded program a Community Food Trust, intended to lower food costs for families and seniors.

“It is the government’s responsibility to protect food costs,” said Burrows.

Other candidates have different ideas. Vancouver Liberal candidate Kareem Allam agrees city hall can play a role, but with a different strategy.

“She has her approach of wanting to use taxpayer money to buy grocery stores. My approach is to take surplus land and donate it to not-for-profits,” said Allam. “My proposal which we will be rolling out in greater detail is to duplicate the UBC Food Hub model and expanding it throughout the city to bring low-cost groceries using unused city buildings.”

Mayor Ken Sim strongly opposes Burrows’ proposal. In a statement to CTV News, he said: “Our job is filling potholes, investing in public safety, and picking up garbage, not selling tomatoes. This is a ridiculous policy that I do not support.”

Sim added, “the steps that improve affordability are those already being taken by the ABC majority on council, including delivering a zero percent property tax increase.”

Vote Vancouver candidate Rebecca Bligh did not respond to CTV News’ request for comment before deadline. The municipal election is set for Oct. 17.