Summer visitors to Esquimalt Lagoon can look forward to pairing their visit with some good eats in the coming years.
The City of Colwood is moving forward with a request for proposals from mobile food vendors to offer food for sale at the Lagoon Beach on Ocean Boulevard between May and August. The decision is based on a report that first went to council last year in July.
Beach Food Fridays & Saturdays has become a familiar event at the Lagoon since 2016, featuring food trucks and live music. The City says the popularity of the event spurred many requests for more frequent regular food offerings at the beach throughout the summer.
READ ALSO: Colwood’s Eats and Beats festival continues to grow
Residents were encouraged to provide input on the idea in January and February through a survey. The City says out of the 71 participants, 97 per cent of the respondents supported a pilot program for mobile food vending.
The project at the Esquimalt Lagoon will be a pilot study, with the possibility of expanding to other locations around the City over time. In the survey, Lagoon Beach was the most frequent location listed but was followed by Herm Williams Park and City Hall.
READ ALSO: Beach Food Fridays and Saturdays kicks off in Colwood
Though not on City-owned lands, other suggestions included Royal Beach, the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre and Colwood Corners.
“While it may seem strange to be planning for activities that are not currently encouraged as we all work to stop the spread of COVID-19, this is one of many small business building blocks that Colwood is putting in place to be ready for strong economic recovery,” Colwood Mayor Rob Martin said in a statement.
More information will be made available by the City as the request for proposals is issued, results are shared and the pilot project moves forward.
