Item - 2026.EC27.2

The Interim Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends that:

Interim Amendments to Chapter 740

1. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 740, Street Vending by deleting section 740-11(the moratorium on new applications for Sidewalk Vending Permits for food vendors in Wards 10, 11 and 13).

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 740, Street Vending by deleting the phrase “five hours” in section 740-17A(6) and replacing it with the phrase “twelve hours” to permit Mobile Food Vending permit holders to operate for up to twelve hours on the same block within a 24 hour period.

3. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 740, Street Vending by deleting the phrases “, until January 1, 2027,” and “As at January 1, 2027, the R55 Curb Lane Vending Permits will, without notice, automatically be cancelled.” from section 740-20 to remove the expiry date on existing Curb Lane Vending Permit holders, and allow Curb Lane Vendors to continue operating under the term of their current R55 Curb Lane Vending permit.

Adoption of a New Chapter 740

4. City Council adopt a new vending permit regime and amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 740, Street Vending and Artists, as follows:

a. Delete Articles I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII and add Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as set out in Attachment 1 to this report (March 24, 2026) from the Interim Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards.

b. Rename Schedule D “Short Stop Vending Permit Locations”;

c. Add a new Schedule E, “Artist Permit Restrictions” as set out in Attachment 1 to this report (March 24, 2026) from the Interim Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards;

d. Rename Chapter 740 “Street Vending and Artists”

5. City Council delete section 313-44.1 from former City of Toronto Chapter 313, Streets and Sidewalks, which contains dated provisions relating to buskers and portrait artists.

Interim Amendments to Chapter 545, Licensing

6. City Council remove the requirement for Pedlar Assistants to obtain a business licence, as mentioned in 545-226(A).

Adoption of New Articles in Chapter 545, Licensing

7. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 545 to repeal Article IV Refreshments Sold from Vehicles, and replace it with provisions substantially in the form of draft Article IV Refreshment Vehicles, attached as Attachment 2 to this report (March 24, 2026) from the Interim Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to simplify and clarify licence conditions.

8. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 545, to add a new licence requirement for any owner or operator carrying on business as a Refreshment Vendor on Foot and a corresponding Article that contains the following requirements:

a. Every owner or operator of a business selling refreshments for consumption by the public, traveling on foot without a vehicle, shall:

(1) At the time of application for a licence:

i. File with the Municipal Licensing and Standards Division a detailed scaled drawing of any equipment to be used in the sale of refreshments; 

ii. Produce a written report from the Medical Officer of Health confirming that the refreshments to be sold and any equipment to be used in the business are sanitary and suitable for purpose;

(2) Ensure that containers or apparatuses from which the refreshments are sold are of a type approved by the Municipal Licensing and Standards Division;

(3) Ensure that every person selling or handling refreshments is wearing clean clothes, is clean and neat in appearance, and has clean hands;

(4) Ensure that any equipment used for dispensing refreshments is clean and sanitary;

(5) At all times conspicuously display their refreshment vendor licence such that it is visible to members of the public;

(6) Ensure that all parts, equipment, and processes used for the preparation, storage, or dispensing of refreshments meet the requirements of Ontario Regulation 493/17 and are approved by the Medical Officer of Health; and

(7) Obtain liability insurance with respect to bodily injury and property damage in the amount of $1,000,000, require that Municipal Licensing and Standards be notified of any change to the policy within 10 calendar days of such change, and require that a certificate of the policy be submitted to Municipal Licensing and Standards as a requirement of any licence application.

9. City Council delete Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 545, Article XVII Hawkers and Pedlars.

Fee Amendments

10. City Council amend Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C – Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards to lower certain street vending fees by amending the following fees so that they read as in the table below:

11. City Council add new permitting and licensing fees to Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C – Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards, as shown in the table below:

12. City Council add new fees related to seizures to Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C – Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards, as shown in the table below:

13. City Council delete from Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix C – Schedule 12, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the following, as shown in the table below:

14. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to waive the application fee for existing Hawker/Pedlar licensees transitioning to a Motorized Refreshment Vehicle Licence, Non-Motorized Refreshment Vehicle Licence, or Refreshment Vendor on Foot Licence between March 1, 2027 and March 1, 2028, with applicants required to pay only the applicable renewal fee.

Other Directives

15. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to work with the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to explore programs, options, incentives or other measures to reduce emissions generated by street vendors.

16. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards in collaboration with the Chief Congestion Office and other relevant divisions to monitor the implementation of the proposals in this report and report back to the appropriate committee, as needed, with any proposed bylaw amendments or operational measures required to address noted noise, congestion or other impacts.

17. City Council amend Chapter 743, Streets and Sidewalks, Use of, to align with the provisions in Chapter 740, Street Vending, by adding the following subsection G to §743-18:

G. Notwithstanding §743-18A(1), a person with a valid permit issued pursuant to Chapter 740, Street Vending is exempted from the obligation to obtain a permit to temporarily occupy the street.

18. City Council amend Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, to align with the provisions in Chapter 740, Street Vending by:

a. Deleting §950-400C and replacing it with the following:

C. Sales from Vehicles.

(1) No person who sells, offers for sale or takes orders for goods, wares, merchandise, produce, refreshments, beverages or other food from a vehicle shall, for the purpose of carrying on business, stop the vehicle on any part of the highway without a valid permit issued under Chapter 740, Street Vending.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to permit the stopping or parking of a vehicle where stopping or parking is prohibited.

b. Adding the following subsection (c) to §950-400D(5):

(c) Subsection D(5) does not apply to a vehicle with a valid permit issued under Chapter 740, Street Vending that permits parking for longer than three hours

Implementation Timing

19. City Council direct that recommendations 17 and 18, which align other city by-laws with Chapter 740, come into effect immediately on the date the by-law is adopted.

20. City Council direct that the following by-law amendments come into effect June 15, 2026:

a. Recommendation 1 on repealing the sidewalk vending moratoriums in Wards 10, 11 and 13

b. Recommendation 2 on permitting Mobile Food Vending Permit holders to operate up to twelve hours per block, within a 24 hour period

c. Recommendation 3 on removing the expiry of R55 Curb Lane Vending Permits

21. City Council direct that Recommendation 10 on amending Chapter 441, Fees and Charges to lower permit fees for Sidewalk Vending Permits and Mobile Vending Permits come into effect January 1, 2027.

22. City Council direct that the following by-law amendments come into effect March 1, 2027:

a. Recommendation 4 to repeal Chapter 740, Street Vending and adopt a new Chapter 740, Street Vending and Artists

b. Recommendation 5 to repeal the busking and artist provisions in former City of Toronto Chapter 313, Streets and Sidewalks

c. Recommendation 6 to remove the need for Pedlar Assistants to obtain a licence

d. Recommendation 7 to repeal Chapter 545, Licensing, Article IV, Refreshments Sold from Vehicles and replace it with a new Article

e. Recommendation 8 to add a new article to Chapter 545, Licensing for Refreshment Vendors on Foot

f. Recommendations 11 and 12, on amending Chapter 441, Fees and Charges to make permit and licence fee additions, and add fees for retrieval of seized items

g. Recommendation 14 to not charge Hawker / Pedlars an application fee if they get a different licence, between March 1 2027 to March 1 2028.

23. City Council direct that the following by-law amendments come into effect March 1, 2028:

a. Recommendation 9 on deleting Chapter 545, Article XVII Hawkers and Pedlars

b. Recommendation 13, on deleting Hawker/Pedlar fees from Chapter 441, Fees and Charges

In a city as large and vibrant as Toronto, investing in a strong local economy supports a high quality of life for residents. Street vendors and artists contribute to these efforts by adding to the vibrancy of the public realm, strengthening community relationships, and offering the public opportunities to conveniently access food, goods and art.

City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing, outlines licence requirements that certain businesses, including mobile vendors, need to meet to operate their business in Toronto. City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 740, Street Vending establishes rules for vendors operating on the public Right-of-Way for the purpose of selling refreshments, including food, drink and ice cream, as well as art made by portrait artists. Additionally, former City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 313, Streets and Sidewalks regulates the City’s buskers and sidewalk artists.

As directed by City Council, the City’s Municipal Licensing and Standards Division (MLS) undertook a review of the City’s street vending and artist by-laws in 2025, with the goals of:

- Improving opportunities for street vendors and artists by identifying ways to support entrepreneurship, cultural expression, and equitable access to public space, while enhancing City vibrancy and consumer options;

- Modernizing licensing requirements and processes to reflect evolving business models and reduce regulatory and financial burdens; and

- Updating and clarifying by-law language to improve consistency, comprehension, and enforceability.

The review included public and industry consultation to identify options to enhance and update the regulatory framework and address the goals of the review. Recommendations in this report include:

- Adopting a revised Chapter 740, Street Vending and Artists, that updates permit types and makes rules easier to understand for permit-holders;

- Lifting a moratorium on new sidewalk vending locations, originally established in 2002, and expanding opportunities for musical buskers by allowing them to sell original media and use amplification in their performances (under certain conditions);

- Establishing new regulations for travelling vendors, to clarify rules and increase opportunities;

- Increasing mobile vending daily limits from 5 to 12 hours; removing permit expiry for legacy curb-lane vendors; allowing more items to be sold under the current ice cream truck model and permitting the sale of non-food items to expand opportunities for mobile vendors; and,

- Reducing fees for most vending and artist permits to increase opportunities for vendors, right-sizing and harmonizing fees, and reflecting consultation feedback and jurisdictional research, while continuing to address the costs associated with administration, enforcement, and the management of public spaces.

The proposals have sought to mitigate any potential congestion impacts of an increase in vending activity through operating conditions on permits when operating in the right of way. In consultation with the Chief Congestion Officer, the recommendations in this report are not anticipated to have any significant immediate impacts on congestion, however, staff will monitor the implementation of the recommendations in this report to assess operational or congestion-related impacts that may arise from these changes.

As part of a monitoring plan, staff are proposing to report back on the implementation of the recommendations in this report, which would include an assessment of noise, congestion and/or operational issues, and propose any necessary further refinements or actions to address those issues.

This report was developed in consultation with Transportation Services, Toronto Public Health, Parks and Recreation, Environment, Climate and Forestry, Economic Development and Culture, and the Chief Congestion Officer.

The recommendations in this report include implementing new licence and permit fees and reducing some of some existing ones. Lowering permit fees will help reduce financial barriers for vendors, better align Toronto’s user fees with those of comparable municipalities while continuing to recover costs, and harmonize fees across different business types. These changes will provide greater flexibility for vendors operating with tight margins and support first-time and seasonal vendors. Reduced fees may also encourage more street vendors and artists, including those operating without a licence and new entrants, to apply for a permit or licence, which could increase net revenues.

The recommendations in this report, including lifting the moratorium on sidewalk vending and creating new opportunities for short-stop vendors, are anticipated to increase the number of street vending and artist permits issued by the City.

MLS reviewed the new and revised fees to ensure they are based on a cost recovery model, align with the City’s User Fee Policy, and appropriately reflect operating costs. The proposed fee reductions are projected to result in a $75,000 to $120,000 estimated annual decrease in revenue, assuming there is no change in the existing number of licences and permits each year. It is expected that lower fees and the proposed expanded licence and permit options will result in increased licence and permit volume, which will consequently offset the projected revenue decrease. Permit volumes would need to increase by approximately 20 additional mobile vendors, or a comparable combination of other licences or permit types, to offset the decrease. MLS will continue to monitor permit volumes and associated revenues and will address any issues through future operating budget submissions or Council reports.

As a result, no net change in revenues is anticipated from the recommendation to lower licence and permit fees. This report does not recommend any additional resources to implement the proposed bylaw amendments.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.