Belleville approves food trucks permit program for 3 parks

With the discontinuation of the Pop-Ups on the Bay program effective in 2026, an opportunity exists to continue activating West Zwick’s Park through a lower-resource and scalable food truck permit approach. Based on observed park usage, event activity, and location suitability, Mary-Anne Sills Park and Thurlow Park are also considered viable locations that may be attractive to food truck operators and beneficial to park users.

Council approved the implementation of a seasonal Food Truck Permit Program for the 2026 operating season at

• West Zwick’s Park
• Mary-Anne Sills Park
• Thurlow Park

Food truck permits for the 2026 season be procured through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process requiring licensed mobile food vendors to submit competitive proposals, including:

• proposed monthly permit fees
• permits be awarded on a non-exclusive basis
• multiple vendors eligible to be approved at a single location provided offerings are varied and non-competing

Selling food in parks and public places currently requires a special event permit

The Parks and Public Places By-law 2020-28 regulates the sale of food and beverages within City parks and public spaces. At present, the By-law prohibits the sale of food, beverages, goods, or services within a park or public place unless authorized through a permit issued for a special event.

Unless authorized by permit for a special event, no person shall, while in a park or public place, sell or offer for sale food, drink, refreshments, goods, wares, merchandise, souvenirs, novelties, promotional materials, or any art, skill, service, or work.

Existing concession stands

Concession operations remain in place at South George Street Canteen through a third-party lease agreement, and East Riverside Park has continued to be offered as a location for a mobile canteen. Both agreements expired at the conclusion of the 2025 operating season. As a result, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued in early 2026, and staff are currently finalizing multi-year agreements for both locations.

The South George Street Canteen agreement for the 2025 operating season totalled $1,913.74, inclusive of HST, for the period from May 1 to September 30, 2025. This agreement represented a building-based concession model and included the use of City-owned infrastructure and utilities, including a cooking range hood, cooking range, double sink, water, hot water, natural gas, and electricity (15-amp service). Under this agreement, the City was also responsible for servicing the existing alarm system and fire suppression system, as well as maintenance of the grease trap and lift pumps.

The East Riverside Park lease for the 2025 season was in effect from April 1 to October 31, 2025, at a rate of $780 per month plus HST. This location operated as a standalone mobile food unit site, with no direct utilities or services provided by the City.