by Ozair Khan
They say, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. That certainly is true at the HSCA (Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association) Flea Market that has been a regular feature every Sunday at HSCA (1320 – 5 Avenue NW) from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Hillhurst and Sunnyside are two of the oldest neighbourhoods of Calgary and have been populated since the 1880s. Today the Hillhurst Sunnyside community, just north of downtown, is a nice residential location which people of diverse backgrounds call home.
Although there are other community markets in Calgary, the HSCA Flea Market is unique in that it is neither strictly an antique market nor a farmers market and has been around since 1985! The community feeling is strong as the same vendors set up stalls weekly. Some sell their own belongings before moving on, whereas for others it is a hobby and they do not earn much out of it. Some are into collecting rare items or antiques. Some test the market for their product here before selling them elsewhere. We all love the vibe and the social interaction with so many interesting people. Bartering is rife and vendors build and refine their collections over the years.
If you want to go down nostalgia lane head for the 100 or so stalls of the flea market. Whether it is hardware tools, bicycles, toys, semi-precious stones, handmade soap, perfumes, books, VHS video tapes, CDs, DVDs, clothes, collectables, arts, crafts, or decoration pieces, it’s all there. For a couple of hours, we can be swept back to our childhood days while chatting with the vendors about what they are passionate about. The whole social cross section of Calgary is represented at the HSCA flea market. Some vendors travel every week from other neighbourhoods to set up stalls there. The indigenous, francophones, immigrants, and long-term Calgary residents brush shoulders as they hunt for that special bargain in a cacophony of languages. Social interaction is all about learning from each other – whether it is about how Calgary was in the 1960s, or what the use of dream catchers was in the indigenous cultures, or all about the crocheting yarn from Brazil. There are many hidden treasures for the seeker if they are patient and thorough in their hunt.
The vendors and the visitors are regulars here and know each other on a first name basis. In a world where the mainstream markets try to set the trends in shopping, the HSCA flea market is a grassroots alternate phenomenon that weaves the community together. In an age when it seems difficult to make our money stretch, every week it is still possible to scoop up goodies which have special meaning to us while meeting interesting people and spending perhaps $10.
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