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Inuvik residents pack town council meeting for food truck vote

Inuvik's town council chambers barely had a free seat last night as people came to observe how the town would vote on a bylaw banning food trucks on the town's roads.

Bylaw banning food trucks passes 1st and 2nd reading

Food truck owner Josh Tyler addresses Inuvik town council Wednesday night. (David Thurton/CBC)

Inuvik's town council chambers barely had a free seat Wednesday night as people came to observe how the town would vote on a bylaw banning food trucks on the town's roads.

Mayor Floyd Roland remarked he had never seen such a turnout for a council meeting.

The motion passed first and second reading with only councillor Terry Halifax opposed.

"For all of council to come out and say this is unsafe, that this is a parking issue ... Inuvik has always had parking issues. It's not there's not enough parking. There's not enough good parking, and people are afraid to walk a block or two blocks," he said.

It still has to pass a third reading before it becomes an official town bylaw. The bylaw would ban the operation of food trucks in public spaces, though they could operate on private property.

More than 200 people have signed a petition opposing the ban on food trucks.

Inuvik currently has only one food truck.