“The city upholds the confidentiality of all vendor license agreements, as it does with any contracts, so I am not able to comment on this particular case,” Pauls said in an email response to a Mercury Tribune inquiry.

“As standard procedure, vendor licenses are either terminated or not renewed following due process in response to repeated non compliance — whether related to the market bylaws, health and safety, operating regulations or code of conduct,” she said.

The letter sent to Rice seems to emphasize health issues, noting several occasions when equipment was left uncovered, a reminder by a public health inspector about washing fruit and a complaint about improper food handling.

“The City of Guelph is committed to public health and safety in all public facilities and the lack of consistency and failure to comply with regulations requires immediate action,” the letter says.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health corporate communications manager Chuck Ferguson confirmed that a health inspector had visited the farmers’ market and noted one food handling issue, but said there was nothing exceptional about the inspection.

“There’s nothing we found that would move Public Health to say that he should be closed down,” said Ferguson.

Typically, the health inspector would discuss an issue with the vendor, so that corrective action could be taken, and then reinspect at a later date to ensure the infraction had been corrected, he said.

In this case, there wasn’t an opportunity to reinspect, because the vendor is no longer there, he said.

Ferguson emphasized that the decision to remove the juice stand from the market was not made by Public Health.

“It’s the farmers’ market administration that decides who is a vendor or not,” he said. “Public Health didn’t close him down.”

Rice started a petition to ask to be allowed to continue his market business, and said he’s managed to get around 150 signatures from supportive customers who will be sad to see him go.

He has also had emails sent to the city by supporters asking that the decision to terminated the contract be reconsidered.

“The fresh juice which has been offered by this stand for so many years epitomizes the fresh healthy food which the market should, and has up to now been offering to the public,” said one email. “I hope you will give this decision serious reconsideration.”

“Jonathan brings a vibrancy and positive energy to create a wonderful customer experience, and he’s been a staple at the market for a decade and a half,” said another supporter, who went on to list a number of other vendors who frequently set up late.

“This is not a problem, as it never interferes with a positive customer experience,” she said.

“Lots of vendors are not set up, ready to vend by 7 a.m.,” Rice said. He doesn’t know how many of them have received warnings or been penalized by the administration.

He calls himself an “anchor vendor,” and says the vendors’ executive was not in on the decision to terminate his contract.

“This is just so out of left field,” he said, noting also, “I’ve always paid the (market) fees. I’ve always been kind to everyone.”

Rice is not sure what he’ll do without the income the market generates.

It is a lucrative business, he said, and he expects one of his neighbour vendors will take up selling freshly squeezed juice after he’s gone.

Rice has been told he can reapply to the Guelph Farmer’s Market for 2018. In the meantime, he has applied to some other area farmers’ markets.

He has a Get Juiced storefront on Macdonell Street, but said the market makes up a significant portion of his business.

“I’ve created that business. It’s valuable, it’s worth something and now it’s just gone,” he said.



