Food Trucks & Mobile Vending

Mobile vending licences may be issued by the City in accordance with the City of Nelson Mobile Vending & Sales Policy [PDF]. The City of Nelson expects to begin accepting applications for on-street mobile vending on March 10, 2021. This page will be updated in the week following March 10th, following adoption by Council of a Fees & Charges Bylaw amendment. The proposed fees are pending and not yet official:

Description

Fee

Application fee (first-time/new applicant)

$300

Application fee (annual renewal)

$100

Application fee (food or beverage service applying to be part of a special event on City property)

$100

Licence amendment fee (change of location only)

$50

Electrical service (unmetered)

$320 per month, or $52 per day of the week, per month, whichever is less

Installation of permanent meter to allow for metered electrical service

At-cost

Connection or disconnection of metered electrical service

$150

Location rental fee: downtown core

$500 per month, or $100 per day of the week, per month, whichever is less

Location rental fee: all other locations

$250 per month

Despite what is contained in the policy, on February 9, 2021 City Council passed a moratorium on mobile vending licences in the downtown core for 2021. The downtown core is defined as:

  • Victoria Street (Falls to Hall) and Lake Street
  • Stanley, Ward, Josephine, and Hall Streets (adjacent to non-residentially zoned property only)
  • 500 block of Falls Street
  • The 100 and 700 blocks of Baker Street

In 2021, mobile vending licence applications will only be considered for spaces outside of the downtown core:

  • Railtown (public streets)
  • Cottonwood Falls market location (when the farmers’ market is closed)
  • Lakeside Drive, including the parking lot portion adjacent to the soccer fields at Lakeside Park
  • Lower Hall Street parking lot

Questions can be directed to Development Services staff.

Food trucks are permitted on most commercially-zoned private property, subject to permission from the property owner and a Fire Department inspection. Mobile vending is permitted in zones where "Mobile Food Vendor" or "Mobile Retail Vendor" is listed as a permitted zone in the Zoning Bylaw. Mobile vending vehicles with cooking facilities must be at least three metres from a building. Mobile vendors seeking to operate as part of a special event or applying for a business licence to operate on private property must comply with sections 2a, 3, 4, 24, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 38 of the Mobile Vending & Sales Policy. Fees required by the Fees & Charges Bylaw [PDF] are applicable.

Policy Background

A public survey was held in September and October 2020, receiving an overwhelming response of over 1,100 responses. Click here to view the results [PDF].

Council adopted the current mobile vending policy on February 9, 2021. The full report can be found here [PDF].