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By Alessia Proietti

Mobile Vending and Busking Bylaw

Food Truck Thursdays may not be returning to Sylvan Lake this summer

Mar 16, 2023 | 2:01 PM

Food Truck Thursdays may not be returning to the Town of Sylvan Lake this year.

A new Mobile Vending and Busking Bylaw was given first reading at a town council meeting on Monday.

Administration recommended a review of the Mobile Vending Program to the Committee of the Whole meeting this February as they said a number of food trucks did not survive the pandemic and the ones that did were faced with various challenges such as increased fuel and goods costs and supply chain issues.

READ: Food trucks ready for year three in Sylvan Lake

They said 2022 was not profitable for Food Truck Vendors, noting they did not see an uptake on Food Truck Thursdays due to other programming on the same day in neighboring communities.

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“Mobile Vending addresses gaps such as creating low barrier business opportunity, provides additional commercial access to tourists that would not otherwise exist and provides additional access to water for commercial business use,” said town administration in the agenda.

The Town says the vendors are requesting to see significant changes to the bylaw, with administration recommending the following:

1. Remove Food Truck Thursday: Mobile Vending Units are already permitted through the Business Licensing Bylaw which includes parcels zoned for Public Facility and properties zoned for Highway Commercial and Industrial. This would include town-owned parks, playgrounds, sports fields, and parking facilities. Administration says they will continue to work with Food Trucks in collaboration with parks and sports field bookings.

2. Remove requirement for mobile vendors to operate their unit for at least 90 days during the duration of a seasonal permit: Administration says the 90 day requirement for a seasonal permit, from May 1 to April 30 the following year, is very difficult for businesses when the weather is poor.

3. Remove specific zones for Mobile Vending locations: Allow Mobile Vending Locations to occur in the parks of Lakefront, Centennial, Lighthouse, Lions and the Pier. Administration says removing the specific zones will allow for more flexibility and creative business ideas and that a number of factors will be considered when approving a Mobile Vendor such as space requirements, ability to load/unload and noise.

4. Expand Flower/Plant Vendor category: Add potted plants, potted flowers and trees. The previous category was for fresh cut flowers and plants.

Officials say the Leisure and Fitness Classes also peaked during the pandemic and subsided once again. They state one vendor maintained their business for three consecutive years while another vendor successfully converted to a brick-and mortar business.

Mobile Vendors, termed as Artists, Retail, Food Cart, Recreational and Water Recreational, are seeing a high turnover rate at 70 per cent, according to the Town. They say one Water Recreational vendor has maintained their business long-term for a period of four consecutive years with the average of vendors being two years in the program.

Administration is also proposing a Tourism Experience Development Incubator (TEDI) program, initiated through the Tourism Industry Partnership Program, to work with vendors through the tourism experience development process. The business development program would be aimed to help vendors test their proof of concept and support them in eventually setting up permanent businesses elsewhere in town. They say the intent of this program is to create experiences and experiential tourism products with current seasonal vendors in 2023 and start transitioning to the TEDI program in 2024.

Town council will discuss second and third reading at their meeting on March 27.