The DTES Street Market has been a fixture in the neighbourhood for more than a decade, and has often been described as a "key component of the local, shared economy." Like every business and organization, it was hit hard by the pandemic.

The Pulse wanted to know what impact COVID-19 had on the market and the people who rely on it. For that, we met several vendors and volunteers.

Brent, who has been volunteering at the market for several years, explains how it helped him rebuild his life after a period of incarceration, followed by homelessness. Then several vendors share their experiences at the market during the pandemic. While one didn't see any decrease in customers, others said they couldn't make a living anymore selling their products.

The DTES Market operates every day of the week, currently at 62E Hastings street and is now referred to as the Four Directions Trading Post. Its mission is to "foster, promote, and defend survival street vending and other commercial activity on streets, parks and other public and private lands while encouraging independence, declientization, and entrepreneurship and the low income population.".