Yorkville’s redesign kicks street food vendors off the curb
The costly Bloor Street Transformation Project (BSTP) may have added flowerpots, trees and benches to the widened granite sidewalks on Bloor Street between Yonge and Avenue, but it’s also become yet another reason why Toronto’s street food industry is floundering. Apparently the Yorkville renovation left no room for several street vendors, forcing out eight hot dog stands (some of which have operated in the area for 15 to 20 years), two retailers and an ice cream truck.
Briar de Lange, executive director of the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, told the Sun that street vendors just don’t go with the new and improved Yorkville look:
Essentially, the whole premise of vending on the street is not something that our BIA has been all that much in favour of . . . Aesthetically we are trying to create a different street.
Despite the fact that pedestrians seemed to have managed to successfully navigate around or, if hungry, beeline straight toward street vendors in the past, de Lange maintains that the BSTP was meant to enhance the pedestrian environment in the area: “sticking a cart in the middle of it doesn’t make any sense.”
Then there’s the matter of new landscape design—city bylaws require 3.66 metres between any vendor and street furniture. Since the Yorkville renovation specifically altered spaces that vendors previously occupied, municipal licensing spokesperson Bruce Hawkins explains these businesses are no longer in compliance with the 3.66-metre rule. There’s still hope for street vendors, though; city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam told the Sun that the city is looking to relocate businesses within the ward: “I do think [street vending] changes and improves the life of any city.” But with news like this, we’re not holding our breath for a Toronto appearance on the next season of Eat St.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/yorkvilles-redesign-kicks-street-food-vendors-off-the-curb/&title=Yorkville’s redesign kicks street food vendors off the curb&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/hot-dog-vendor.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_62229" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="A hot dog vendor at the safer location of College and St. George (Image: Alfred Ng from TorontoLife.com Flickr Pool)"][/caption]
The costly Bloor Street Transformation Project (BSTP) may have added flowerpots, trees and benches to the widened granite sidewalks on Bloor Street between Yonge and Avenue, but it’s also become yet another reason why Toronto’s street food industry is floundering. Apparently the Yorkville renovation left no room for several street vendors, forcing out eight hot dog stands (some of which have operated in the area for 15 to 20 years), two retailers and an ice cream truck.
Briar de Lange, executive director of the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, told the Sun that street vendors just don’t go with the new and improved Yorkville look:
Essentially, the whole premise of vending on the street is not something that our BIA has been all that much in favour of . . . Aesthetically we are trying to create a different street.
Despite the fact that pedestrians seemed to have managed to successfully navigate around or, if hungry, beeline straight toward street vendors in the past, de Lange maintains that the BSTP was meant to enhance the pedestrian environment in the area: “sticking a cart in the middle of it doesn’t make any sense.”
Then there’s the matter of new landscape design—city bylaws require 3.66 metres between any vendor and street furniture. Since the Yorkville renovation specifically altered spaces that vendors previously occupied, municipal licensing spokesperson Bruce Hawkins explains these businesses are no longer in compliance with the 3.66-metre rule. There’s still hope for street vendors, though; city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam told the Sun that the city is looking to relocate businesses within the ward: “I do think [street vending] changes and improves the life of any city.” But with news like this, we’re not holding our breath for a Toronto appearance on the next season of Eat St.
• Wiener war in Yorkville [Toronto Sun]){kind=link}
Can we just learn from New York already? Not just from street food vendors, but also there proper Taxi services cutting back on the 68million cabs that sit on the side of the road.
We could have some of the best street food in N. America if we just helped develop this program rather then have print media just hate on it.
Bloor-Yorkville BIA are just making themselves sound like provincial, narrow-minded rubes. There’s room enough for your planters and hot dog vendors in the big city. Street meat is part of Toronto. Don’t be jerks — learn to love it.
BTW, the disappearance of vendors at Yonge & Bloor makes me less likely to hop off the subway, get a dog, and buy something in the neighbourhood while I’m at it. I can’t be the only one.
Pretentious crap. get over yourselves Yorville.
Yorkville*
How about regulating all those delivery vans and trucks that park on cumberland and yorkville at all time of days. It makes the block look way to congested and ruins the vibe.
imagine the wonderful protest. lines of street vendors slowly pushing their carts up and down this very stretch of bloor…
there’s enough room for everyone on the sidewalk.
typical toronto attitude to anything that might make our city more global
thats why toronto will NEVER be a world class city,
too bad!
Since Briar de Lange doesn’t believe that street vendors go with the “new and improved” Yorkville look, I don’t believe that my patronage and money go with the “new and improved” Yorkville look either. I wonder how long de Lange’s attitude will last once the drop in revenue starts.
I am so glad the carts are to be gone from the Bloor Street area. They STINK… as does the whole intersection of Bloor and Yonge. If this is to be a premier shopping area in the city let it be without the vendors’ carts. If anyone needs a hot dog so desperately, let them ride a bit farther on the subway.
This is what happens when you let lawyers make up the laws…..this is one of the (many) reasons Toronto cannot be classed as a world-class city!!! These a-holes also run our country…
Toronto the BLAND….
I would be interested how much the BIA contributed to the project and how much was contributed by taxpayers which include the hot dog vendors…
Religious and ethnic prejudice is not allowed in Canada. Yet, if someone is earning a living legitimately but not in a style which is in accordance with your “aesthetic tastes” you can control them? Economic Nazi-ism comes to mind! Apparently plenty of call girls on the arms of Yorkville- loving businessmen is okay in your area!
April 4, 2011 at 8:26 pm | by Michael
“typical toronto attitude to anything that might make our city more global
thats why toronto will NEVER be a world class city,
too bad!”
(a bit late to this article, but nonetheless…)
are you serious Michael? not being able to get a tube steak in yorkville stops toronto being world class? I’m all for polish and italian sausages, but your comment is ridiculous.