Shafted by the G20, 40 Toronto street food vendors are seeking compensation for lost revenue
Street food vendors in Toronto are not a happy bunch. First, there was the whole A La Cart debacle that saw enterprising entrepreneurs stymied by bureaucracy and weird financing rules. Now, 40 street vendors, who were forced to leave their spots around the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for 19 days as a result of the G20, are seeking compensation from the government.
Reports the Sun:
“The vendors are speaking to lawyers individually,” said Marianne Moroney, executive director of the Street Food Vendors Association. “We are behind them and support them all the way…”
Toronto Mayor David Miller said there’s little the city can do to compensate vendors since the summit is a federal responsibility.
Just about everyone serving food was hit hard by the summit. A report released last week shows that eateries inside the security perimeter took in 66 percent less money over the June 25 weekend. The 40 street food vendors, on the other hand, took in zero revenue from June 11 to June 30 as city by-laws prevented them from setting up shop elsewhere. Unfortunately, no secret legislation was enacted to allow the vendors to move, even temporarily.
A cheesy apology seems unlikely, so the vendors are probably better off taking the lead from their food-slinging counterparts at local restaurants, who have banded together on Facebook.
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