Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 16/04) - Food vendors will return to downtown streets this summer, but they won't be getting a free ride.

City council debated rules and fees to be imposed on mobile canteens at a committee meeting Tuesday morning. They will likely include a $1 million insurance bond and a $321 parking permit.

Coun. Alan Woytuik wanted to know how the city intends to police outdoor food vendors this summer. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Regardless, some councillors are worried the downtown core may become a food vendor free-for-all if City Hall doesn't pin them down with an iron thumb.

"I'm just worried that we could have a dozen of them in the downtown core," said Coun. Alan Woytuik.

He questioned administration on how the city intends to police the vendors, particularly when it comes to littering.

Manager of policy and planning, Loretta Bouwmeester, responded by saying that the city can revoke the vendor's business licence if they don't pick up after themselves.

But Woytuik wasn't impressed, noting that vendors will be free to move their carts as they please.

"How do you monitor whether they're cleaning up their spot when they're roaming around day-to-day?" asked Woytuik.

Other councillors didn't appear that worried.

Let marketplace decide

Coun. Bob Brooks said he favoured letting "nature takes its course," allowing the marketplace to decide how many vendors should be on the streets.

Others yet, wondered just how many vendors are actually planning on hitting the street this summer.

"We're spending a lot of time talking about two vendors," said Witty, noting that was the number of vendors who appeared interested in taking their carts downtown.

"The thing to keep in mind is we do have the hammer."

Coun. Blake Lyons wondered -- if not in jest -- whether food carts may attract smokers away from restaurants because the city's smoking bylaw doesn't apply to outdoor vendors.

"Listen my friend, someone is going to challenge it," warned Lyons.

"If you've been to Centre Square Mall down front, they're having a smoking contest there. I don't want to see the same in these places."