On October 19^th, Bev Zubot, EFCL’s Planning Advisor, and Christine Bremner, EFCL Board member, spoke to Executive Committee of Council about Restrictive Covenants limiting grocery stores.    They spoke against the practice of grocery chains placing a covenant, on their sold properties, which restricts the future sale of food on the site. 

Bev emphasized the significance of the issue to mature neighbourhood revitalization, and the negative impact of food deserts created by the grocery store covenants .  Christine, who has done extensive research and action on this issue in the last several years, provided detailed research and suggestions.   

The Executive Committee of Council showed a genuine concern and instructed Administration to report back to Committee, January 2012, outlining what can be done legally to address the issue of restrictive covenants on grocery retail, and 2) how the City’s zoning processes could be fast tracked to allow for quicker redevelopment of abandoned grocery store sites. 

Ultimately, EFCL is hoping to work with the City to convince the Provincial and Federal Governments to change the laws which allow the anti-competition strategies of large food chains.