Orillia city councillors to vote on whether to lift ice cream truck ban

The controversy surrounding whether or not roving ice cream trucks in Orillia should be allowed continues, with some city councillors hoping to reverse the ban.

"I brought it forward through an inquiry, and we discussed it at council. The community was very supportive of ice cream trucks, a lot of folks reminiscing on the good times that they had with ice cream trucks and then coming around the neighbourhood," said Coun. Jeff Czetwerzuk.

Despite the ban that has been in place for years, residents say the frozen treat trucks are still operating, sparking safety concerns for Czetwerzuk.

"If we're going to let them operate, we should do them in a safe manner," he said.

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City Coun. Ralph Cipolla isn't on board with reversing the ban, noting children's safety as a main concern.

"They hear that bell, they know it's ice cream, so they go out and run across the road and from personal experience, I had a nephew that got hit by a car and passed away," Cipolla said.

Cipolla also expressed worries about the safety of the ice cream itself, as some products contain milk.

"How long has that ice cream been in a truck? We have retailers that sell ice cream on the main streets, [and] they pay a substantial amount of taxes," he added.

In the event council votes in favor of allowing ice cream trucks to return to the roads, specific restrictions would be imposed.

"The trucks will have to have a 'Watch For Children' sign on the back of the truck, they also have to have two amber lights that are flashing while they're serving customers, they can't serve after sunset or before sunrise, and they also can't serve customers on the roadway. They have to be on the side of the road," said Czetwerzuk.

Council will vote on the matter on Aug. 14. If the proposal passes, city staff will begin accepting applications the following day, potentially allowing ice cream trucks to return to Orillia streets within five business days.