What Next? Debit Cards For Homeless People

Street Vendors Evicted For Grey Cup Sponsors

BUT...........

Committee's plan: Encourage diverse fare by borrowing money

November 22, 2007
Paul Moloney

Toronto is putting the cart before the street food.

In what might seem an unusual move during a financial crisis, the city is looking to borrow $700,000 to get into the vending cart business. It's all part of a plan to kick-start the introduction of ethnically diverse street food to Toronto sidewalks by late spring.

Encouraged by board of health chair John Filion, the budget committee yesterday endorsed a plan to buy 35 carts, at $20,000 each, and lease them to food vendors for $449.12 a month – a move that raised questions from audit committee chair Doug Holyday.

He said vendors should be able to acquire their own carts as long as they follow city specifications.

"I don't see why the city has to purchase these things," Holyday said. "If there's a business case to be made, I'm sure people would be glad to put their own money up. It's not like we've got extra money. We're already in debt enough."

Filion (Ward 23, Willowdale) explained that ownership gives the city a way to prevent absentee landlords from cornering the street food business.

"Under what I'm going to be proposing, all of the carts will have to be owner-operated, and there'll be a requirement for photo identification," Filion told the committee.

"You'll only be able to operate one cart. So there won't be any of those cart conglomerates that existed in New York City or with the hot dog carts."

Ownership would also let the city reap any future sponsorship revenues from companies that might want their logo on a cart, he added.

Filion said he wants to work with Ryerson University to develop specifications and line up a manufacturer for the carts, which probably will require modular designs.

"If you're making omelettes, you're going to need lots of refrigeration. "If you're making empanadas, you're going to need a lot of oven space." Details about what happens if a cart needs repair or the vendor stops making monthly payments aren't settled yet, he said.

"If the cart breaks down, we'll obviously have to have a contract with someone to repair the cart.

"And we're probably going to have to have a spare cart on hand so they don't lose a day's business.

"These are details we don't have all worked out yet. "We'll certainly have them all worked out before we have any carts on the street."

Filion said he doesn't expect political obstacles to the plan, which would see new vendors joining about 150 existing hot dog and chip vendors who are assigned specific spots downtown.

"Every member of council I've talked to is enthused about it. I expect it to be clear sailing."

The cart acquisition plan goes to council for approval next month.

"That would allow a very fast procurement process to begin without waiting for the other pieces to fall into place," said deputy city manager Sue Corke.