Local vendors join together to celebrate Christmas on Dunbar

By MILENA BAAK

With the holiday season is right around the corner, Margot Steward wants babies to feel bonded to their mothers through her knitted blankets and hats.

Steward was one of approximately 15 vendors at the St. Philips Anglican Church annual Christmas market on November 29, 2025.

Dozens of markets happen across Vancouver for the holidays with many vendors displaying their creations and the stories behind why the started their businesses.

Steward said she is a part of a group called Go Go Grannies in correlation with the Stephen Lewis Foundation and has been for the past 20 years.

“I’ve sewn pretty well every day for Stephen Lewis,” said Steward. “I knit for two cups of tea in the morning”.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation has been in operation for over 20 years, supporting women and children across the world.

It focuses attention on people in Africa that struggle with AIDS and HIV, and they work with different companies and small businesses to help donate and spread awareness of important global issues.

Steward said that since creating baby bundles, she has received nothing but generosity back from parents that receive them, including Christmas cards and many thanks.

“I don’t need to be thanked, I just do it,” she said.

She said that she heard about the market through a friend who attends the church and thought it would be a good idea to showcase her products.

When applying for the market, Steward said that St. Phillips does not charge for a table, compared to other markets.

“I will donate to their table, but they’re not charging. And that’s so generous,” she said.

Barry Smith, a volunteer vendor at the Christmas market, said that this was his second year attending the market and he has a passion for plants.

When he attended last year, he was selling different plants on his own, but this year he has help from a friend.

“We’ve grown 100 per cent” he said. “From one to two.”

St. Philips can continue hosting events throughout the year due to the generous support provided by the community.

Many church staff said that holding events at the church help bring the community together because that was what the original intent for the church when it was built 100 years ago.