Peter Thompson

A soft spoken street vendor has become the face of a new promotional campaign by Megaphone, a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver.

The campaign called “I Work Here” features three videos of vendors on the job. In the first video projected yesterday at the intersection of Robson and Howe Streets in Vancouver’s downtown core, we meet Peter Thompson, a 53 year-old former carpenter, who began selling the paper six days a week in 2006, to help make ends meet.

I buy Megaphone for 75 cents.
I sell Megaphone for $2.
I keep the profits.
Selling Megaphone got me on a different path – where I can look forward instead of back.
My name is Peter.
I work here.

“I was on disability and unemployed, but then I started selling Megaphone and now I can earn an income,” says Thompson. “Selling Megaphone got me on a different path, where I could look forward instead of back. It got my mind going so I could get myself back on the right track.”

Megaphone plans two more video-projections featuring other street vendors; they can be seen at 5:00 p.m. on Tues. Dec. 6 at Vine and 4th Ave. and Dec. 13 at Granville and Hastings Streets.

Vendors who work those corners will be in attendance, offering the most current issue of the bi-weekly magazine. The latest issue of Megaphone features articles on winter shelters; sex worker advocacy groups and David Suzuki on the Occupy movement.

You can follow the campaign at MegaphoneMagazine.com/IWorkHere and on Twitter with #iworkhere

Help Megaphone raise funds for its vendor program at the Night of Joyful Voices fundraiser on Dec. 8.

Read Megaphone‘s interview with Peter Thompson.

Alex Samur

Alex Samur

Alexandra Samur was rabble.ca’s managing editor from 2010 to 2012, books and blogs editor from 2007 to 2012. Alex’s career in independent media spans more than a decade and includes stints...