Street vending and mobile food operations are permitted to operate in Sidney in certain locations, provided they are licensed and regulations are being followed.
Licensing
Mobile food truck/street vending operations require a valid Business Licence, either issued by the Town of Sidney or an Intermunicipal Licence issued by the municipality in which the business is located. By having a valid Business Licence, it is expected that the business has approval from Island Health and any necessary Fire Department inspections. Business licences must be renewed annually and are valid until December 31st of each year.
If operating on public property, mobile food truck/street vending operations require Council’s approval and are subject to the guidelines found within the Town’s Street Vending Policy.
Approvals, Inspections, and Documentation
The following approvals, inspections, and supporting documents must be obtained and submitted in order for an application to be considered.
Operating on Private Property:
- Business Licence application form
- Island Health approval
- Fire Department approval
- Photographs of the vending vehicle
- Written permission from the property owner(s)
- Business Licence application fees
Operating on Public Property:
- Written letter of application, including the following details:
– Nature of the business
– Scope of operations
– Goods for sale
– Size of vehicle
– Location
– Waste disposal
– Confirmation of self-sufficiency in utilities - Island Health approval
- Fire Department approval
- Photographs of the vending vehicle
- $2 million in general liability insurance with the Town of Sidney named as a co-insured party and $1 million of liability insurance coverage for all vehicles associated with the business
- $500 refundable deposit
Additional Information
Mobile food/vending trucks and/or vending carts operating on private property fall under the “Outdoor Retail” use within the Town’s Zoning Bylaw, which is permitted within the following zones: C1, NC2, M1, W1, W1-U, P1, U2, U3, I1, CD6, CD11, and CD29.. These zones can be found on the Town’s Zoning Map.
Outdoor retail is also subject to conditions of use, which depend on the zoning found in Zoning Bylaw No. 2275.
Some common Conditional Use Regulations for Outdoor Retail
- Cannot be the primary use on the property
- Siting and size for vending areas:
– Maximum 20 square metres vending area
– Vending area is maximum 15% of property area it is located on
– Setbacks may apply, depending on the zone
Additional regulations for all Outdoor Retail that may apply
(Refer to Zoning Bylaw No. 2275 for specific requirements)
- Hours of operation: between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm
- Cannot be left in place overnight between the hours of 11:00 pm and 6:00 am
- Utilizing a parking lot for outdoor retail requires meeting Town of Sidney’s Off Street Parking and Loading Bylaw requirements
For more information on Fire Department approvals, please review the Town’s Mobile Food Vendors Overview.
If you are interested in becoming a vendor in the Sidney Street Market, please visit the Street Market page.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please contact: