Councillors bite nails over out-of-towner selling food from truck

The peddler's activities are well-known but no action has been taken, according to councillors Rick Niro and Matthew Shoemaker

Stock image (may not resemble food sold by peddler referenced in this City Council resolution)

The following resolution has been placed on the agenda of next week's City Council meeting by Ward 4 councillor Rick Niro and his Ward 3 counterpart Matthew Shoemaker.

The meeting will be livestreamed by SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

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Peddler licencing bylaw

Mover Councillor R. Niro
Seconder Councillor M. Shoemaker

Whereas on Mar. 17, 2003 the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie enacted a peddler bylaw to licence, govern and regulate peddlers operating within the City; and

Whereas over the past several years there have been repeated complaints made by local businesses to the City, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, and Algoma Public Health regarding the operations of an out-of-town peddler who frequents the city and sells a variety of foodstuffs from a truck without licence; and

Whereas the actions of this peddler have had a negative effect on local businesses and are potentially putting residents who consume the peddler's products at an elevated risk of obtaining food-borne illnesses; and

Whereas despite the actions of this peddler being well-known and informally advertised, the party has yet to be charged or otherwise sanctioned from breaching the peddler by-law;

Now therefore be it resolved that the city legal department be directed to review the peddler bylaw and report back on how its compliance and enforcement provisions could be strengthened so as to deter peddlers from operating illegally within the city and thereby ensure greater fairness for local businesses.

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