What started off as a simple request to run an ice cream truck in Huntsville, has led to a much bigger question: How far should a municipality go to protect established year-round businesses in a seasonal economy?
The issue was first raised at a May 24 council meeting. At that meeting, Huntsville councillors were asked to approve a business licence for Johnny’s Frozen Treats ice cream truck. The request was brought forward by Chief Bylaw Enforcement Officer Andrew Stillar, who said the request was the first of its kind for the Town.”This is the first time that I’ve received an application specifically for a mobile ice cream truck,” said Stillar.
Council divided
Some councillors expressed concern with the ice cream truck competing with established, year-round businesses. While others spoke of the merits of free market enterprise and reasoned that an ice cream truck is not stationary and should therefore not be parked in any one location for a very long time. An amendment to the request was proposed by Councillor Johnathan Wiebe. He proposed that a two-hour limit be set for the amount of time the truck could be parked in any one location at any given time. A stipulation was also made stating that the ice cream truck could not operate at McCulley-Robertson Sports Complex or Hutcheson Beach without the written consent of the concession operators, who currently have an agreement in place with the Town. In the end, the request passed with a small majority of councillors voting in favour.
Similar debates
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison likened the debate to allowing hot dog carts in the municipality.”I remember first having that debate some years ago when we had our first hot dog cart. Good hot dogs by the way,” he told Council.Councillor Brian Thompson also reminded Council that Belly Ice Cream was rented space on the Main Street, very close to other businesses that sell ice cream.
Still, the resolution did not sit well with Cathy DeNardis, owner of Uncle Larry’s General Store in Port Sydney. She said her business depends on ice cream sales in the summer.
I’m just not in favour of allowing him to go to places where it would hurt the local businesses that are here year-round, that pay taxes, that employ the locals, that support local initiativesCathy DeNardis, owner of Uncle Larry’s General store in Port Sydney
DeNardis said the competition could have a devastating impact on her business. She said her business relies heavily on ice cream sales in the summer and if people start buying ice cream from a vendor at the beach, instead of walking to her store, it could put her out of business entirely. “I know the locals would support me 100 per cent, but I cannot survive on local money only. Local money does not get me through the winter so immediately I would have to lay off three of my part-time staff who have just been hired and would have a difficult time finding a job elsewhere because most people have already hired for the summer,” she said. DeNardis was also quick to point out that while the town took into consideration the revenue of the vendors it has agreements with at McCulley-Roberston Sports Complex and Hutcheson Beach, it did not take into consideration local businesses like hers.
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison told Doppler that while he understands having a store open year-round is an important service for the people of Port Sydney, he questioned just how much municipal intervention there ought to be. “In a free market society, where government is involved in trying to level the playing field a bit, how far do we go?”
Aitchison also pointed out that Huntsville’s current transient trader bylaw makes it possible to rent any commercial property to operate from and unless the municipality decides to change its bylaw, there’s nothing it can do about it.
There’d be nothing stopping him from working out a deal with a commercial property across the street from her and setting up an ice cream shop. There’s also nothing stopping anyone from opening one of the businesses across the street from Cathy DeNardis and just having an ice cream shop for the summer. I couldn’t stop that.Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison
Parry Sound vendor says he comes in peace
John Athanasiou, owner of Johnny’s Frozen Treats, was contacted by Doppler for comment. He said he has no intention of causing problems or interfering with existing businesses, “even Dairy Queen,” he quipped. “I’m not going to go near them. I’m not going to park across the street from them.” He said he plans to stay clear of Port Sydney altogether and said in terms of the two-hour maximum, the longest he’ll ever remain in one particular place will be 20 to 30 minutes. “I’ve been in business for 30 years and I’ve lasted that long because I am a very reasonable person,” said Athanasiou.
He asked that anyone with concerns simply approach him and said he’ll be dividing his time between Parry Sound (where he lives) and Huntsville. “There’s enough business in the summer time in Huntsville and Parry Sound for everybody.”
Athanasiou said he will not interfere with DeNardis’ business but noted competition is inevitable. “It is unfortunate but competition says we must divide the money, that’s the way it works.”
I heartily agree with all of the previous comments. Shame on those councillors who voted against this. The government has no place trying to manage business competition within the town. That is the whole point of a free market. I understand that unfair monopolies may be a different case, but history has shown that stifling competition is a bad idea.
I remember living in Toronto when I was young and the sound of the ice cream truck brought everyone in the neighbourhood out onto the street. Neighbours were talking to each other as they ate their treats and a party happened. What could be bad about that? I hope that is his intention. If he comes to Huntsville on certain days people would be sure to plan for his arrival. I know I will.
As to local businesses being affected, I don’t remember them ever travelling around the streets selling ice cream. He’s providing a service that no one else does. People at home have no intention of driving to get an ice cream. It’s only when they’re in town that they do that.
Shame on those councillors who did not vote in favour; just because someone was “here first” does not give them the right to either an oligopoly or a monopoly. The public has a right to “choice”. Taking that choice away because it may “hurt” an established business is just wrong! Free competition provides us with those choices and ultimately rewards those that are the most deserving. That should be the right of the public to decide; not council’s. Protectionist policies smack of arrogance and a lack of intellectual acuity.
I think an ice cream truck would be terrific for stops in Huntsville during the summer months! Shades of the past and adding to local colour is a fun thing. Not everyone can leave what they are doing and pick up a cool treat when they’d like to, and having the treat come to you is terrific. It would not deter me from still shopping the local ice cream stores as well, at all. I buy from all of the mobile vendors and thoroughly enjoy the diversity available in Huntsville.
I commend the man he’s trying to make a living just like everyone else. It’s not like he’s selling anything bad and it’s very attractive having thencheerful music from an ice cream truck around neighbourhoods .