Wellington North now requires all door-to-door salespersons to obtain a licence from the township.
Following a request by councillor Sherry Burke, the township passed a resolution on May 16 banning door-to-door sales.
A bylaw requiring all salespersons to receive a licence from the township was presented to council on July 11.
The bylaw requires all door-to-door salespeople to obtain a licence and have written permission from all those who they wish to contact.
The original motions identified door-to-door sales as an action that could expose vulnerable persons to aggressive and intimidating behaviour, stated a report by clerk Karren Wallace.
“Our intent is to not allow door-to-door sales within our community and that’s the process that we’ve tried to allow for,” said CAO Mike Givens.
“We can’t … outlaw it, but the way (Wallace) has drafted the bylaw gives us the authority that if they don’t have written permission to access properties, we don’t have to grant them the licence.”
Councillor Dan Yake asked if this covers all door-to-door sales over and above the original discussion around heating, cooling and ventilation sales.
Wallace confirmed charity groups would be exempt. The bylaw also exempts minor Sports organizations, local service clubs, youth activities and religious organizations.
Yake added it “sounds like an enforcement issue.”
Wallace agreed, but added the police “have been very cooperative, even though they are not our enforcement mechanism.”
The bylaw passed unanimously.
