The board has a clean and pretty vision for the street and the messy, eclectic tents and tables the vendors use to display their wares are not part of that plan. After public outcry and criticism, the board amended the decision and now says it will allow owners of shops already on the street to set up tables outside to draw customers into their stores. The evil outside vendors who lend character to the otherwise boring concrete haven, draw tourists to the downtown core and create a unique English-market feel to the street are removed for the sake urban aesthetics. Contrary to the wisdom of the board, the street vendors don't take business from stores. If anything, the vendors increase business.
Street vendors add character and bring tourists and locals onto the street.
By ridding Sparks of street vendors, the board is also ridding the street of its vitality. For the Sparks Street Mall to survive, there needs to be people willing to shop there. The prime shopping target is tourists and their money, especially since Sparks is so close to Parliament Hill. And tourists aren't looking for expensive suits or CDs or books. They' re looking for souvenirs of their trip to Ottawa, which both street vendors and many Sparks Street merchants are selling.