Pop-up grocery stores offer fresh food options for low-income Calgarians
When the cupboards are bare and the fridge is empty, the Alex Community Food Centre in northeast Calgary Is Tracy Ray Lewis' first stop.
"I am a low income citizen," said Lewis. "I just have to really shop carefully. I try to always come here first and only buy what i have to elsewhere."
The Alex is just one of the hosts of Fresh Routes - a pop-up grocery market - popping up at seven different spots in and around the city.
"We buy at a wholesale price and then we are able to pass those discount on to the customers," said Nikita Scringer, one of the people running Fresh Routes.
"All of our produce is about 20 to 40 per cent cheaper than you'll find in a grocery store."
Fresh Routes is a non-profit, meant to make groceries more affordable for those having a hard time paying their bills.
These days, that's a lot of people.
"It's for everyone right now, especially with the rising cost of COVID and cost of living in our city," said Scringer.
"It's important that your dollar can stretch as far as possible especially when it comes to food."
The point of the pop-up isn't just to help feed people — it's also to allow them to pick out their own groceries, a luxury not generally available when relying on food banks or food hampers.
"We believe providing people with choice is important, having the dignity to come choose what you are going to bring home, choose things you'll actually eat so there is less waste is really important," said Scringer.
"Instead of giving people a hand out, we want to give them a hand up. By allowing them to have the choice, we feel is really important and it's good for their self esteem."
Even though low-income shoppers may benefit the most from these pop-ups, organizers say everyone is welcome to fill out their grocery list here.
In fact, they're counting on it.
"We want people to come shop, even if you can afford to shop at another grocery store," said Scringer. "We want people to come to our market to sustain and keep it growing and keep our costs low."
Fresh Routes rotates where it pops up every day, and soon it will be hitting the road.
In January, the produce will be offered on a bus that will drive to neighbourhoods where it is most needed.
A complete list of the Fresh Routes pop-up locations and schedule can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Global Affairs reports Canadian killed in Lebanon in connection with Israel-Hamas war
Global Affairs is reporting the death of another Canadian due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. This is the ninth casualty connected to Canada.
This Canadian couple used surrogacy to have a child. Here's what they want you to know
Families that need help conceiving a child are met with financial burdens that should be covered through government health care and insurance, advocates say.
From COVID-19 to alien contact, conspiracy theories are popular in Canada: survey
The Earth is flat. We have been secretly contacted by intelligent beings from other planets. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did not land on the moon in 1969. They may sound like bizarre statements, but a new poll suggests a sizable number of Canadians believe in these and other conspiracy theories.
Renowned Quebec entrepreneur, partner reported dead in Caribbean
Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his spouse Dominique Marchand have died in their adopted home of Dominica, in the Caribbean, a source has confirmed.
Renowned Canadian musician and former April Wine singer Myles Goodwyn dead at 75
Myles Goodwyn, the award-winning Canadian singer and songwriter who shot to stardom as the former lead singer of April Wine, has died at age 75.
Backlash continues following Moncton’s decision to not display the Menorah this year
Outrage seen from the community and across the country online after the news broke Friday that the City of Moncton would not display the Menorah this year.
Canada issues updated travel advisory for Guyana amid border dispute referendum in Venezuela
Amid a referendum that will see Venezuelans asked about the future of a chunk of neighbouring Guyana that Venezuela currently claims ownership over, Canada has adjusted its travel advisory to warn against travelling in Guyana near the border.
Another inmate dead at notoriously harsh Newfoundland jail, officials confirm
An inmate has died at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in Newfoundland, one of the oldest operating provincial jails in the country, officials with the provincial Justice Department confirmed.
Commercial ships hit by missiles in Houthi attack in Red Sea, U.S. warship downs 3 drones
Ballistics missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships Sunday in the Red Sea, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defence during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed two of the attacks.