When Toronto politicians tried to police the selling of snacks
Soaring numbers of food vendors created controversy back in the mid-1980s
In 1985, tension over Toronto's growing ranks of mobile food vendors prompted politicians to take a look at the rules surrounding the selling of snacks.
In particular, two parts of the city where tourists hung out were at the centre of the controversy.
"They congregate in Yorkville and at Harbourfront because that's where the business is good," as the CBC's Susan Ormiston reported back in May of 1985.
"Sometimes, they crowd the sidewalks and sometimes the people who buy their food throw garbage around."
There was also a perception that too many vendors were working the city's sidewalks, perhaps a result of what Ormiston reported was a doubling of their numbers in a three-year period.
'An awful mess'
Richard Wookey, a businessman and developer, told CBC that the food vendors' business had created "an awful mess" on the streets of Yorkville during the previous summer.
"The vendors were lined up, one after another, and you know, some of them have orange juice and some of them, the peels are flying around and it's just an awful thing," he said.
The pushback against those vendors of popcorn, hotdogs and other treats seemingly gave local politicians the appetite to take on the issue of where those vendors could operate.
A city committee believed the vendors should have to purchase a special licence to sell snacks along a particular stretch or zone of a tourist area.
Zoning for snack-selling?
"The heart of the recommendation is to set up a zone, like a street like this in Yorkville," said Alderman Ron Kanter, when speaking with CBC about the issue.
"To set out markers, a few square feet in dimension, where a vendor could come and stand all day, without being hassled or harassed by the public works department or the police or merchants."
And by limiting the number of those licences, the problems with having too many food vendors would, in theory, be dealt with.
The proposed cost for such a licence was to be $100 a year — but that would be a top-up from the $138 vendors had to pay for a general licence.
'Can't even make a dollar'
Later that month, the CBC's Mel Tsuji was reporting on police efforts to push food vendors back from stretches of Harbourfront.
"Police felt they had to impose restrictions after a vendor protest ... tied up traffic here very badly," he explained to viewers of CBC Toronto's Newshour.
Some vendors were forced to the outer regions of the Harbourfront area, while others were allowed to sell on the opposite side of the street from the tourist fare.
The police action frustrated vendors who did not have much choice but to do what they were told.
"The police have been chasing us all over the place and we can't even make a dollar," said a young vendor who spoke to Newshour.
'It's instant'
But Tsuji said the vendors' business remained brisk despite the day's setbacks. The reporter also said that most people Newshour spoke to supported the people selling them sustenance.
"I think they should be allowed to stay here, because if my kids need something to drink or to eat, I can come here and get something right away," said a father, who was holding a young child in his arms while talking to the reporter.
"I don't have to go into a restaurant or sit down or wait — it's instant."
The debate wasn't about to die down, however, and the city would eventually pass legislation that put limits on how they could conduct their business.
No more 'confusion'
The following spring, CBC Toronto was again reporting on City Hall's plans for dealing with food vendors and the alleged "confusion" they caused when selling nuts or candy apples in busy districts like Yorkville or Harbourfront.
Hence the plan to move ahead with the licences and selling zones.
Later that spring, the Toronto Star reported that council had directed staff to rent out zones to vendors for the fee of $100 that had previously been discussed.
