Sunset is the most ethnically diverse neighbourhood in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

. It is located in the south-east quadrant of the city. Surrounding the multicultural Fraser Street district, Sunset is bordered by both the

Marpole Marpole, originally a Musqueam village named , is a mostly residential neighbourhood of 23,832 in 2011, located on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, immediately northeast of Vancouver International Airport, and is appr ...

and Oakridge neighbourhoods to the west, and the Victoria-Fraserview neighbourhood to the east. The neighbourhood is primarily known for the

Punjabi Market The Punjabi Market ( pa, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਮਾਰਕਿਟ/), also known as Little Punjab or Little India#British Columbia, Little India, is a commercial district and ethnic enclave in Vancouver, British Columbia. Officially recognized by the c ...

and its historically large Punjabi-Canadian population.

History

Development of the Sunset neighbourhood first took place in the 1860s. At the time, the area was part of the District of South Vancouver and consisted mostly of farmland alongside a cluster of homes. Extensive logging took place along the south slope of Vancouver during the late 19th into early 20th century, prompting communities such as Sunset to rapidly industrialize. In 1929, the District of South Vancouver amalgamated with the City of Vancouver, thus incorporating Sunset as a part of the city. The neighbourhood remained quite rural until the 1940s, when a large wave immigrants from central and eastern Europe moved into the area. Many new

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

immigrants established churches, most of which remain to this day. In the 1960s, another large wave of immigrants moved into Sunset. Primarily

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

from the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

region of

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

, the new immigrants founded the

on Main Street and presided over the last final large scale development in the neighbourhood with the of construction hundreds of

Vancouver Special The Vancouver Special is an architectural style of residential houses developed in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The style was popular in the 1960s to 1980s due to ability to maximize floor space with relatively cheap construction costs. Background ...

s. As most development in the area ceased in the 1980s, these homes continue to be a mainstay across southeast Vancouver. Today, the neighbourhood is among the most ethnically diverse across

Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 ...

and continues the serve as one of several centres of the South Asian community in Vancouver.

Geography

Sunset lies between E 41st Avenue, Ontario St, Knight St and the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annua ...

. Commercial districts in Sunset are situated on Fraser Street between 41st and 51st avenues; named as Vancouver's most multicultural neighbourhood, the Fraser district features many

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

and European businesses. Another commercial district in Sunset is the

(also known as

Little India Little India or India Town (less commonly known as Indian Street or India Bazaar) is an Indian or Desi ( South Asian) sociocultural environment outside India or the subcontinent. It especially refers to an area with Indian residences and a ...

) which is situated on Main Street and 49th Avenue. Like most of south-east Vancouver, the area used to be predominantly working class but rising house prices elsewhere have made the area increasingly popular with young professionals and families who can no longer afford houses in areas such as the west side.

Demographics

The neighbourhood contains the largest South Asian (33.6%) and Punjabi speaking (23%) population in the city.

References

{{Reflist Neighbourhoods in Vancouver