The temptation was just too much for the City of Toronto and it has complied with the contracts of big corporations. This week every day vendors find themselves out in the cold.
Two days before the Grey Cup festivities begin, vendors along Front St. have been told to make way for the big corporations. A Chip truck owner in the area believes that he will lose between $1,500 and $2,000 because of the city’s decision.
But his disappointment is directed at the timing the city has given him and other vendors. The City of Toronto had this week on their calendar for a year, but they have waited until this past Monday to advise vendors that they must vacate Front St. to make room for the Grey Cup interactive area.
The vendors have done all kinds of preparation in lieu of the coming week including buying more than the usual amount of goods to sell throughout the coming week. These vendors have not only lost money for this coming weekend, but also for the previous week when road improvements were carried out by the city on Front St.
One of the things that Toronto prides itself on is diversity, and this includes the food that is available. Visitors from out of town who are here for the Grey Cup, will have the same food choices around Rogers Center that they have in their hometowns. One of the goals of this week was to showcase to the rest of the country what Toronto has to offer. An act like this is not a good way to kickoff hosting the most important week in Canadian football.
During the summer there are multiple festivals and events throughout the city that offer Torontonians a number of different food choice. These include events such as the CHIN picnic, Taste of the Danforth, and Taste of Little India. These cultural events are apparently just for the people of Toronto. Once the city is ensured to have visitors, the politicians succumb to corporate interests.
Instead of providing patrons with local Toronto fare, the city has decided to yield to the pressures of the Wendy’s corporation, who is the title sponsor of the CFL. This week visitors to Toronto should ensure that they venture away from the shadow of Rogers Center and get a true taste of what Toronto has to offer.
