Skip to content

Telkwa Pub seeks blockage of food truck from near property

Council directs staff to prepare a report for consideration of amended regulations
24884310_web1_200603-SIN-TELKWAPUBPATIO-telkwapub_1
Telkwa Pub. (Marisca Bakker photo)

Lonny Carroll, owner of the Telkwa Pub wants the village to take action to protect her business from the unwanted presence of a food truck outside her establishment.

Carroll outlined her concerns that patrons of the Quick Eats food truck use her parking lot, generate unsightly garbage and use her washrooms even though Quick Eats provides an outhouse. She also believes the business has an unfair advantage because the pub pays taxes and has huge overhead costs being a fixed building.

“My issue with them is they’re seasonal, they come in at the busiest time of the year, take a majority of my business, they have no overhead, no rules, no anything to abide by and my question is, is there anything that’s going to change with this moving forward,” she said.

She said she anticipates with the ongoing restrictions on pubs and restaurants, it will hurt her, even more, this summer and doesn’t think the food truck should be allowed to be right outside her front door or in her backyard.

“I think somewhere by Tyhee Lake or somewhere away from businesses like myself is only the right thing to do,” she suggested.

Carrol said she gets along fine with the owners of Quick Eats and doesn’t want to be in conflict with them, but doesn’t want them located adjacent to the pub.

“I think it’s only fair for the town to support my business over a retired couple that just swoops in and coins it for three months, then leaves,” she said.

Carrol received sympathy from all the councillors present.

Coun. Leroy Dekens, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Mayor Brad Layton said this has been an ongoing issue.

“I get exactly where you’re coming from, this has been bothering me for many years,” he said. “When we had our restaurant, it was the same thing. I agree, they’re on Village property, they’re not paying the taxes that we are.”

He suggested staff should come up with a report for council to consider next steps.

“It’s something we need to look at and we need to look at it pretty quick because as you well know, the summer months are coming,” he said.

Council directed staff to come up with a report including current regulations and an analysis of what other communities do to regulate food trucks with respect to fees, licences, approved locations etc., for consideration at the next regular meeting of council April 27.

“We have to protect our businesses,” Dekens said.



Thom Barker

About the Author: Thom Barker

After graduating with a geology degree from Carleton University and taking a detour through the high tech business, Thom started his journalism career as a fact-checker for a magazine in Ottawa in 2002.
Read more